Arsenal's on-loan goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo completes his switch to Nigeria with Fifa

ARSENAL goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo who is currently on loan to English League Two side Wrexham has completed his international switch with global footballing body Fifa that will now make him eligible to feature for Nigeria's Super Eagles.

British-born Okonkwo, 22, has played with the England youth teams before and a few years ago, former Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr asked him to switch his allegiance and opt to play for Nigeria at the senior level. In search of regular game time following his promotion to the Arsenal first team in the summer of 2021, Okonkwo has been loaned out to several clubs in the English lower leagues like Crewe Alexandra and Wrexham.

He played a total of 11 games for the England U15 team and was subsequently promoted to the U17 and U18 teams, where he last featured in 2018. After weighing the offer from Nigeria, Okonkwo finally decided to make the switch and with Fifa now approving his request, he has become eligible to represent Nigeria at senior level.

This season, Okonkwo has been brilliant at Wrexham, featuring in 26 games, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding just 26 times so far. In the second half of last season, Okonkwo was out on loan to Austrian side Sturm, Graz, where he kept six clean sheets in 18 games and before that, he kept 10 clean sheets in 36 games for Crew Alexandra during the first half of the season.

It remains to be seen if Okonkwo will be called to camp for Nigeria's friendly against Argentina next month. He will now have to compete with the likes of Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo for the number one shirt as the World Cup qualifiers approach in June.

Despite a strong performance trajectory in senior football, Okonkwo’s international chances with England have dwindled. Okonkwo's last involvement with the England U18s was over four years ago and it is this which has probably prompted the shift in his international allegiance.

Back in October 2023, Okonkwo expressed his willingness to consider representing Nigeria, and discussions between him and the Nigerian Football Federation began. His remarkable performances have not gone unnoticed, earning him recognition as the most valuable player in League Two.