FC Lorient of France striker, Terem Moffi is eager to get an invitation to the Super Eagles before this year runs out, as the in-form lad aims to consolidate on his current top exploits in the French Ligue 1, megasportsarena.com reports.
This is the down-to-earth revelation of the former Golden Eaglets’ invitee’s father, Leo Moffi, who disclosed that his son has a burning desire to don Nigeria’s green-and-white colours before the turn of the year.
With the Eagles’ next competitive mach now shifted till September, as Confederation of Afircan Football (CAF) has rescheduled matches in the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers from June, Moffi is hoping on continued top form with Lorient, in order to get a call-up.
This much was affirmed by his father, as the former Rangers International of Enugu goalkeeper, who is now a lawyer, said he is not surprised at his 21-year-old son’s progress in France, few years after he hit limelight in Belgium from the backwaters of Lithuania in January 2020.
Lorient persisted in the quest for the youngster after initial bids were flatly rejected his Kortrijk of Belgium maintaining that Terem was a €10m Euro-rated player and both sides then settled for an €8m transfer fee.
That was a remarkable lift for a lad who showed early signs of pursuing a football career when he was just seven years old, as his father enrolled him at Aspire Soccer Academy’s new centre in Calabar.
He spent only a short time at Aspire Academy and it was at Nigeria Youth Soccer Academy in Calabar, here he trained under Coach Abdulgafaar Agboola, that Terem started showing trappings of professional football at 11 years old and his development took a faster progression.
The older Moffi is now sounding upbeat about his son’s future and believes more positive things will naturally happen in the lad’s career, with a verdict that he will star for the Eagles at the World Cup and go on to get crowned African Footballer of the Year.
Leo Moffi revealed: “He dreams of playing for Nigeria at the World Cup. He also believes that if his career follows the right path, playing for the right clubs and with the right coaches, he can become the African Footballer of the Year and win the Golden Ball.
“Terem’s decision to become professional has nothing to do with my career. He was a child who very early on showed exceptional skills for football. I am not surprised by what he has shown so far; I saw it in him when he was only three or four years old.
“He grew up in an environment where virtually all little boys played soccer. His two older brothers were also good footballers. One of them might even have been a better striker than Terem if he hadn’t decided to go to school, and if he wasn’t a doctor.
“I’m not surprised Terem signed for FC Lorient and all I can say it’s just about the time God has destined it to happen. You could tell he was focused at an early age and I was impressed. He’s always been a striker at young age and he showed what he could be at such an age by scoring.
“His fighting spirit has always been there at an early age and I must say that he’s got a lot to offer to football. I would always wish coach Agboola’s name be mentioned each time Terem’s soccer stories are told.
“Coach Agboola took him as his own son and did a lot in terms of developing Terem into what he is today. Terem was a very important member of coach Agboola’s team and he took him through the most rigorous training ever and all these came to help him he moved abroad.”
