London-born forward Dapo Afolayan has revealed that representing Nigeria remains one of his biggest football ambitions after admitting he previously came close to earning a Super Eagles call-up.
The Blackburn Rovers attacker opened up about his international ambition as he continues to enjoy a strong start to the 2026/27 Championship season.
Afolayan has made an impressive impact for Blackburn this season, scoring three league goals and providing two assists in eight Championship appearances. His form earned him a nomination for the September Championship Player of the Month award.
Despite his current form, the 29-year-old is still waiting for his first senior appearance for Nigeria.
Afolayan has previously represented England at C level, but remains eligible to play for the Super Eagles through his Nigerian heritage.
He also revealed that he was close to receiving an invitation while playing in the Bundesliga with St. Pauli, but his form dropped at an unfortunate time.
“I’d love to play for Nigeria. It’s always been something I wanted to do since I was a kid,” Afolayan said.
The forward explained that he had been performing well in Germany and was close to a call-up, only for his situation to change before the international break.
Sports247 gathered that Afolayan has now put himself back into the conversation through his performances for Blackburn, where he has started all eight of the club’s Championship matches this season.
His recent form has also attracted wider recognition, with his September performances earning him a place among the nominees for the monthly Championship award.
For Afolayan, however, the biggest prize would be an opportunity to finally wear the green and white of Nigeria at senior level.
With his form improving and his desire to represent the country still strong, the Blackburn forward will hope his performances can eventually convince Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle to hand him that long-awaited invitation
