By Toby TAIWO
Though, Nigeria’s national team isn’t represented at the ongoing World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, soccer loving Nigerians are not left out in the celebration.
In the physical absence of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Nigerians watching the game have been clamouring for players whose roots have been traced to the country.
One of such is former arsenal player Folarin Balogun who netted a brace for USA to run away with a scitilating 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
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The hosts opening match saw the player flourish and Nigerians on top of the moon celebrating oen of their own.
They were also happy that Balogun was named FIFA’s Man of the Match after the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay.
One Nigerian Fred wrote on X “A brace, a standing ovation, and a dream World Cup debut. The USA win their home World Cup opener 4-1. There was a lot of pressure coming into this game. A lot of questions too. They answered all of them. Folarin Balogun scored twice. Christian Pulisic pulled the strings again. And Mauricio Pochettino got his first World Cup win as a manager. Kudos to my main man Balogun for representing father’s land Nigeria well.
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Another Nigerian, Femi said: “Super Eagles may not be in the World but we Nigeria is well represented. See balogun doing wonders. I’m happy. We are the best anywhere we find ourselves.”
Folarin Balogun was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents of Yoruba descent. His family moved to London when he was a year old and was raise there. He is a product of Arsenal’s famous Hale End academy, the same academy that produced players like Bukayo Saka.
He broke into Arsenal’s first team in 2020 but found opportunities limited due to competition for places. To gain experience, he went on loan to Middlesbrough before making a name for himself at Reims in France, where he scored 22 Ligue 1 goals in a single season the most ever by an American in a top-five European league at the time.
His performances earned him a €40 million move to AS Monaco in 2023, where he continued to develop into one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe.
Interestingly, Balogun represented England at youth level but chose to play for the United States in 2023. He scored on his competitive debut and has quickly become one of the key players for the USMNT.
