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By Milcah Tanimu

Jose Peseiro, the manager of the Super Eagles, has acknowledged the formidable challenge of persuading SC Freiburg’s talented goalkeeper, Noah Atubolu, to switch his international allegiance from Germany to Nigeria.

The Portuguese football tactician finds himself grappling with a goalkeeping crisis as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations loom on the horizon. His current pool of goalkeepers is either struggling with match fitness or experiencing poor form.

Francis Uzoho of Omonia Nicosia and Maduka Okoye of Udinese have seen limited action for their respective clubs this season. Meanwhile, Adebayo Adeleye, who plays for Hapoel Jerusalem, has faced intense criticism for his performances, to the extent that there are considerations to remove him from the starting lineup.

In the quest for a reliable goalkeeper, Noah Atubolu emerges as an attractive candidate due to his youth and his involvement in one of Europe’s top five leagues. However, it’s known that the 21-year-old is leaning toward representing Germany’s senior national team, much like Jordan Torunarigha and Kevin Akpoguma, who ultimately chose to play for the Super Eagles.

Atubolu has previously earned caps for Germany at the U17, U19, U20, and U21 national teams and was provisionally tied to his country of birth in May 2019 when he featured against Austria at the 2019 U17 Euro.

German-based Nigerian journalist Oma Akatugba revealed that he discussed Noah Atobulu with Jose Peseiro, and the Super Eagles coach and his team anticipate difficulties in convincing him to switch to Nigeria due to his exceptional talent and the prospects with the German national team.

Peseiro pledged to make efforts to persuade Atubolu to change his international allegiance, though he didn’t appear entirely convinced that the Freiburg goalkeeper would opt for the three-time African champions.

Notably, Atubolu assumed the role of the first-choice goalkeeper at Freiburg this season following the departure of Netherlands international Mark Flekken to Premier League club Brentford. The German-Nigerian goalkeeper has already recorded four clean sheets in ten appearances across all competitions for Freiburg in the 2023-2024 season. The situation remains challenging, with his talent and potential within the German national team complicating any potential switch to Nigeria.