"I wanted to play for both but my club said no" - Chukwueze opens up on why he missed out on U-20 World Cup in Poland

Nigerian professional winger Samuel Chukwueze. He plays for Spanish top flight club Villarreal FC and the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Born in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, May 1999. Photo: SunNewsOnline

Super Eagles of Nigeria and Villarreal FC of Spain winger, Samuel Chukwueze says it was difficult for him to decide which of the national teams to represent last year.


According to Brila.net, Chukwueze was caught in the middle of a tug of war between the coaches of the Flying Eagles, Dream Team VII, and the Super Eagles following his superb for Villarreal last season.

After the Dream Team VII sealed their passage to the U-23 AFCON in Egypt, Chukwueze was left with either to join up with the Flying Eagles for the U-20 world cup in Poland or to play for the Super Eagles at the 2019 Afcon.

“I wanted to play both of them, but in the process, my club said no Samuel you cannot play two of them, you are going to be exhausted because after that I have to join them in the preseason also,” he said in a live Instagram chat.

Chukwueze chose to play for the Super Eagles at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt after his club Villarreal's advice so to not get "exhausted". Photo: TimClayton/Corbis via Getty

“My club said I need to make a decision, choose one and the pressure was for me to go to the under 20, but I cannot finish that tough season and join the under 20 immediately because they were already playing in the world cup. I told them I want to go to the nation’s cup, even if I’m not playing, let me start from the bench, I want to feel the nation’s cup atmosphere,” he said.

Samuel Chukwueze was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the Bronze medal at the 2019 Africa cup of nations in Egypt, and he scored his first goal for Nigeria Super Eagles against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, in the quarter-final of the tournament and was named man of the match.