Wrexham's Okonkwo to make Super Eagles debut at Unity Cup in London next month

NIGERIAN Football Federation (NFF) officials have revealed that Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo who recently completed his switch to Nigeria through Fifa will make his Super Eagles debut during the Unity Cup in London next month.

Just this week, Fifa confirmed that it has finally approved Okonkwo's switch to Nigeria after his formal application to convert from being an England player was given the green light. Having played for the England youth team in the past, Okonkwo, 24, had to go through a formal switch with the global footballing body to be eligible to represent Nigeria.

Between May 26 and 30, the Unity Cup will take place in London with Nigeria participating alongside Jamaica, Zimbabwe and India. Taking place at The Valley, the home ground of English Championship side Charlton Athletic, the tournament will see Nigeria trying to defend the trophy she won last year after defeating Jamaica on penalties following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.

This time around, Nigeria will face Zimbabwe in the opening game on Tuesday, May 26 and then go on to face the winner of the Jamaica vs India game if they qualify for the final. Following the massive success of the 2025 edition, which saw Nigeria crowned champions at Brentford, the 2026 tournament marks a sentimental return to The Valley, where it was last hosted in 2004.

Having featured for England at U16, U17 and U18 levels, Okonkwo is said to be looking forward to making his Nigerian debut at the tournament. According to one NFF officials, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is also keen on including the goalkeeper in his plans ahead of the tournament.

"He was very enthusiastic about switching allegiance and playing for Nigeria and that made things easier for us. The coach Eric Chelle wants him and would like to have him in the squad as soon as possible,” the NFF official said.

Okonkwo’s impressive performances this season have further strengthened his case for a national team call-up. He has made 42 appearances in all competitions and recorded 10 clean sheets in 37 Championship matches, placing him among the top-performing goalkeepers in the division.