There are so many talented Irish footballers that have roots in Nigeria; both are countries famed for their sporting skills and boast amazing teams. Continue reading below to discover which athletes fall under this category, as there could be some surprises.
Gavin Bazunu
Gavin Bazunu was born in Dublin in 2002 and plays for the Republic of Ireland national team. He is best known for being a goalkeeper at the Premier League club Southampton, which he joined in 2022 on a five-year contract. Currently there is speculation an favourable odds from the bookies
Scs.ie that he may go on loan when he comes back from injury. However, he began at Shamrock Rovers, and during this time period made his first apperance in the 2018/ 2019 UEFA Europa League for Ireland. Subsequently, Bazunu moved to Manchester City, where he stayed for three years.
Bazunu may have Irish citizenship but he was born to Nigerian parents and originates from Lagos.
David Okagbue
David Okagbue is a defender and centre- back currently at Walsall, a League Two club. He began at Stoke City in 2020, and has also played for Chester and Oldham Athletic.
The player has both Irish and Nigerian citizenship, but currently chooses to play for the Republic of Ireland. Beginning in the Under 19's squad where he made three appearances, Okagbue recently made his debut for the Under 21's squad in November 2024, which he lists as his greatest accomplishment achieved in his career thus far.
Chiedozie Ogbene
Chiedozie Ogbene was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to Cork, Ireland in 2005 with his family. Unsurprisingly, he then kickstarted his career playing for Cork City in 2015, Limerick in 2017, Brentford in 2018, Rotherham United in 2019, Luton Town in 2023, and eventually transferred to Ipswich where he currently plays on a four year-contract.
In terms of his international career, Ogbene has made 24 appearances starting in 2021 for the Republic of Ireland. Throughout this time he has scored 4 goals in both FIFA World Cup Qualifications and Friendlies.
Andrew Omobamidele
Andrew Omobamidele is best known for playing in Premier League club Nottingham Forest, and also represents the national team of the
Republic of Ireland where he was born in 2002. We highly anticipate his first goal, as Omobamidele has only had 10 appearances so far. Omobamidele's father is Nigerian, which means that he has the oppurtunity to also play for Nigeria is he chooses in the future.
It's also worth noting that he played alongside Gavin Bazunu for the Dublin and District Schoolboys League (DDSL), who we mentioned earlier. The defender also played for Norwich City, where he made an appearance in the EFL Championship 2020/ 2021.
Michael Obafemi
Michael Obafemi was born in Nigeria in 2000 and moved to London, England when he was still a young child. All things considered, Obafemi can choose between representing Nigeria, England, and the Republic of Ireland as a national team. However, the striker made a decision in 2018 to stick with Ireland, and began making regular appearances. Obafemi has even scored two goals for his home country, both in the UEFA Nations League B 2022/ 2023.
Currently, Obafemi is on loan to Plymouth Argyle from Burnley, both EFL Championship clubs.
Adam Idah
Adam Idah is an Irish footballer that plays for Celtic, the Scottish Premiership club. He has a five-year contract which started in 2024 after a loan period whereby the club decided to keep the star player.
Idah was born in Cork and has a Nigerian father as well as an Irish mother, but chose to represent the Republic of Ireland where he has made a lasting impression. Since his first appearance in 2020, Idah has scored 4 goals for the team, 2 of which were for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Olamide Shodipo
Olamide Shodipo is a winger for Feirense, a Portuguese Liga 2 team. He was born in Leixlip, Ireland and has played for both the Under 19's and Under 21's for the Republic of Ireland national team, despite also being eligible to represent Nigeria.
In 2012, Shodipo made his debut for Queens Park Ranger in a two-year contract, and has transferred to several League One clubs as well as playing on loan for League Two club Colchester United. In January 2024, Shodipo signed a year-long contract at Feirense.
Conclusion
All in all, we have discussed many impressive Irish players that have Nigerian roots, hence meaning that they have to make the difficult decision between representing the Republic of Ireland or Nigerian national teams. Many factors come into play here, whether it is the country they were brought up in or the simply the performance of the squad so far. One thing is undeniable, and that is that there are a multitude of players, both young and old, that continue to inspire the youth and leave their distinct mark in the football hall of fame.
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