The President of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters Club, Rafiu Ladipo, has insisted that Jordon Ibe will regret choosing England over Nigeria.
Ibe confirmed his decision to play for the Three Lions last week, despite meeting with Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh in the UK.
Ladipo says the Liverpool youngster is destined to fail, like John Fashanu and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
“It’s rather unfortunate that Ibe has chosen not to play for his fatherland instead another country. The truth is that England will only use and dump him,” Ladipo told Goal.
“We have had many experience in the past when Nigerians and Africans were lured to play for them, and the moment they hand them one or two caps, they are done, so I think it would be a good idea for him to change his mind and represent Nigeria.
“I believe he has more to gain and many years to play for Nigeria rather than England. Since he has chosen to play for the [Three Lions], I wish him the best of luck but I know too well that very soon, he will be done.”
He also called on football authorities, to focus on discovering players in the domestic league, rather than look for foreign groomed stars.
“If we have good materials abroad, there is nothing bad approaching them but if they turn us down, talents abound in Nigeria and we can make use of what we have,” he continued.
“Football is played by a team and not an individual. If we can focus our attention on players from our league, the better for us else we will keep seeing our foreign groomed talents snub us.
“[John] Fashanu,[Gabriel] Agbonlahor and [Patrick] Owomoyela have all learnt their lessons the bitter way. Which of them played international football for three years? None.
“I think it is a bad decision on their path and they are dearly paying for it. For me, I would like to advice Nigerians abroad to think twice before choosing to represent any foreign country.”
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