Sheffield Wednesday of England defender, Dominic Iorfa Jnr’s father is holding Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) responsible for his son’s apparent decision to commit his international future to the country of his birth, as the older Iorfa alleged that the lad has never received an invitation to the Super Eagles from the secretariat in Abuja, megasportsarena.com reports.
With another roll call of players invited to the Eagles’ camp released last week, ahead of two international friendly matches next month in Austria, six new names were added to the list, but Iorfa Jnr misses out for the umpteenth time, leaving his father, who played for Nigeria at full international level, casting all blame at the NFF’s doorstep.
Dominic Iorfa Snr, who made waves for BCC Lions of Gboko during his heyday and was part of Nigeria’s squad to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, stressed that his son, who was named Sheffield Wednesday’s Player of The Year last season, should not be blamed if he settles for a senior career with England, having already been part of their youth structure.
He, however, went on to affirm that his son is willing to switch his international allegiance from England and play for the Super Eagles, but interjected that it would only be possible if the NFF and the national team’s coach, Gernot Rohr show concrete interest in the central defender.
Although Iorfa Jnr failed to honour an invitation by former under-23 national team, Olympic Eagles’ coach, Samson Yebowei Siasia in 2014 and Rohr previously held personal talks with the lad about the possibility of him playing for Nigeria, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers lad’s dad insists the NFF have not been serious about inviting him.
The 25-year-old Iorfa, who was born in Southend-on-Sea, is now currently waxing strong in the lower division English Championship and, while he already became provisionally cap-tied to England in October 2015, when he played for The Young Lions in a European U-21 Championship qualifier versus Kazakhstan, the defender’s father posited that his son is ready to make a switch.
Iorfa Snr told allnigeriasoccer.com: “I will advise him to play for Nigeria but Nigeria have to talk to him. When Nigeria talk to him it’s up to him to say yes he’ll play. If he wants to play for Nigeria and at the end of the day Nigeria didn’t invite him, what will you do?
“Now he moved to Sheffield Wednesday, he’s doing well so it’s for Nigeria to show their intention. If they talk to him he will now prepare his papers to change allegiance to Nigeria, he has played for England youth team up to U21. I spoke to him last week and he’s ready to play for Nigeria.
“These are young players, Nigeria have to show their intention. I remember when Ikeme was at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rohr went there and spoke to him and Ikeme, that time he was only 22 so he was interested to come and willing to play. Even Ikeme told him that he should come so he was ready.”
