Keanan Chidozie Bennett

[Prince]

so the same thing that happened to our local league follower-ship is about to happen to our national team if we continue all these nonsense. 50 years from now our entire national team would constitute English boys who cant even point Nigeria on the map.

Bros the boy goes to Nigeria regularly, he has played in the Nigerian sector. Intact training in Nigeria helped him , I noticed more of our UK boys are now tra8ning in Nigeria to help them with skills and strength part of the game

[Damunk]

so the same thing that happened to our local league follower-ship is about to happen to our national team if we continue all these nonsense. 50 years from now our entire national team would constitute English boys who can't even point Nigeria on the map.

I do not know whether this is simple sarcasm or you genuinely believe the 'English boys' are actually 'English'.
The immigrant dynamic in the US is very different from the UK. They are two very different societies and how they impact on the individual is different.

You guys in America tend or seem to look at your roots from a distance. I don't feel that connection to home and culture in US-based Nigerians and their kids as I do for Brits.
I may be wrong and stand to be corrected.

What I can say for sure about Nigerians in the UK is that the connection to home is very strong.
It might be becos this is a small island and we are all geographically closer together or maybe just that the Nigerian spirit is far freer to express itself here than in the US. Black Brits do not generally identify with the UK before they identify with home - wherever that might be. It is even greater in the current U-25 generation because it is seen as 'cool' to be Nigerian - very unlike my time as a kid and even as a young adult in my 20s. It might have a lot to do with pop culture - music, film and fashion.

Here in the UK there is the famous 'Cricket Test' which came about in the 80s when the Carribeans were asked by conservative MP Lors Tebbit who they'd support in a cricket match between England and the West Indies as a test of their loyalty to The Crown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_test

Of course, you know who the Caribbeans would support without question - they've always identified with home, again probably due to the strong Caribbean culture in the UK perpetuated by their music and street fashion. Africans have only just come into that mindset, but it is now very strong.

So all this 'English Boy' characterization you make is a little faulty and is maybe your interpretation from your experience and observations in the US. The only reason why players like Tammy, Ejaria and Eze etc might opt for England is for purely professional career reasons, not because they see themselves as more 'English' or 'British' over their Nigerian roots which they openly display and are quite proud of.

We are many here, we are loud and we are very proud of our Nigerianness (even if we are forever dissing Naija) and it is rubbing off on our children in various ways, trust me.

[Damunk]

so the same thing that happened to our local league follower-ship is about to happen to our national team if we continue all these nonsense. 50 years from now our entire national team would constitute English boys who cant even point Nigeria on the map.

Bros the boy goes to Nigeria regularly, he has played in the Nigerian sector. Intact training in Nigeria helped him , I noticed more of our UK boys are now tra8ning in Nigeria to help them with skills and strength part of the game

Jette1 just dey yarn from inside Trump territory like say him know wassup for this side.

[airwolex]

so the same thing that happened to our local league follower-ship is about to happen to our national team if we continue all these nonsense. 50 years from now our entire national team would constitute English boys who cant even point Nigeria on the map.

Bros the boy goes to Nigeria regularly, he has played in the Nigerian sector. Intact training in Nigeria helped him , I noticed more of our UK boys are now tra8ning in Nigeria to help them with skills and strength part of the game

Jette1 just dey yarn from inside Trump territory like say him know wassup for this side.

The funny thing is that the Nigerians that seem most opposed to this trend are the old men who live abroad and haven't been to Nigeria in yonks or have been here and run back. You will rarely get one of us NRIN (Naijas Residing In Naija) hating on these kids like Kongi and Jette.

I suspect their real only emotional connection to Nija is the SE, hence why they have this funny guard-dog approach to foreign-born players repping us.

[Damunk]

so the same thing that happened to our local league follower-ship is about to happen to our national team if we continue all these nonsense. 50 years from now our entire national team would constitute English boys who cant even point Nigeria on the map.

Bros the boy goes to Nigeria regularly, he has played in the Nigerian sector. Intact training in Nigeria helped him , I noticed more of our UK boys are now tra8ning in Nigeria to help them with skills and strength part of the game

Jette1 just dey yarn from inside Trump territory like say him know wassup for this side.

The funny thing is that the Nigerians that seem most opposed to this trend are the old men who live abroad and haven't been to Nigeria in yonks or have been here and run back. You will rarely get one of us NRIN (Naijas Residing In Naija) hating on these kids like Kongi and Jette.

I suspect their real only emotional connection to Nija is the SE, hence why they have this funny guard-dog approach to foreign-born players repping us.

OMG! A new term is born: 'GDPs' - Guard Dog People.