GLOBAL SOCCER
Though Karim Adeyemi opted to play for his country of birth, Germany, in spite of approaches from fatherland, the Borussia Dortmund forward was recently on holidays in Nigeria and took time to visit the Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, Lagos. In a chat with journalists, he gave the reason why he opted to star for Germany instead of Nigeria, his impression about the country, his love for Nigerian delicacies-‘fufu’ and ‘amala’, amongst many other things. However, if there is one thing the 21-year-old never wished for, it’s coming up against the Super Eagles someday, Kunle Adewale writes
For the children who were at the Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle, last Friday, it was more than coming to have a training session at the newly renovated stadium, as the Chairman of Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, Yemi Idowu, was organizing a Christmas party for the kids. Even beyond the party, these future stars were also looking forward to meeting the Borussia Dortmund star, Karim Adeyemi, who was in Nigeria on holidays and decided to visit the new wonder in Ajegunle.
On arrival at the Maracana Stadium, Adeyemi said he feels very proud to see that something like this is happening here. “I am very happy that the kids have this kind of facility -pitches to play and hostels to accommodate them.”
The Borussia Dortmund star however admitted that not everybody has a chance to come to a better league- maybe to Europe and make his way to everything. “So, we try to let children from a young age play football and let them see if they are really good and anything can happen.”
For Christian Diercks, head of Borussia Dortmund football academy,
“It is a pleasure for me to be here as a club representative from Borussia Dortmund. This is my first time in Nigeria. This is actually good for kids to have facilities and all- AstroTurf and it doesn’t matter the weather condition the kids can simply play. I feel that if more kids have a chance to play in such a kind of sports infrastructure, more will actually do sports in general and also practice football.”
At age 19, the left-winger made his debut for the German national team in 2021 under the management of Hansi Flick, making four appearances and scoring a goal on his debut, subsequently closing off his chances to join the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Despite his affiliations, Adeyemi, born to a Nigerian father, Abbey Adeyemi, and Romanian mother, Alexandra Adeyemi, conveyed his deep connection to Nigeria and his willingness to represent the nation if circumstances had been different.
Having featured in Germany’s U-16, U-17, and U-21 teams before the senior national team call-up, Adeyemi, recognised as a talented prospect by the German FA, secured his place in the German setup after his impressive performances at Red Bull Salzburg.
Though his attributes could have potentially benefited the Super Eagles, Adeyemi’s commitment to the German national team came first, resulting in his exclusion from Nigeria.
When asked if he would consider playing for the Super Eagles if given the opportunity, Adeyemi emphatically responded with a yes, praising Nigeria’s football legacy and recognising the quality of its players.
“If I had the chance, of course. For me, I think it’s a great national team, and in the future, they will be great, they have good players, and in the past, they were also great.”
On his choice of best African player, “I think the best player is Victor Osimhen, he plays well in the Italian Serie A and in the Champion League. I think he is the best Nigerian guy.”
However, if there was one thing in football that Adeyemi would not want to happen, it’s a situation where Germany will be pitched against Nigeria at the senior level. So, when the question was put up to him on if playing against Nigeria is something he’s looking forward to, he reacted thus: “To be honest no, because somebody has to lose. I will hope not to play against them because I want the multitude to have a good journey.”
Adeyemi indeed said he has been enjoying the environment, food and the people since his arrival in Nigeria. “On the way here, I ate Amala. Everything is good. I enjoy everything. Any time I come; I feel at home. My friends who are not from Nigeria, come here because I tell them it is a nice thing to see, so, I always enjoy it,” he said.
