Ike Ugbo, who was also eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, has made his debut for Canada, who improved their chances of reaching the 2022 World Cup qualifier after a 1-0 home win over Costa Rica.
The former Chelsea striker, 23, was an 83rd minute sub for match winner Jonathan David.
Ugbo has previously represented England at various age-grade levels.
He had expressed his readiness to play for Nigeria at the AFCON and World Cup after saying his father is a big Super Eagles fan.
However, in a shock u-turn the London-born Ugbo completed his change of international allegiance to Canada leading up to his debut today.
Canada currently occupy third-place in the eight-nation CONCACAF qualifying tournament with 13 points from seven matches, a point behind front runners USA and Mexico.
On Wednesday, they welcome Mexico in continuation of the qualifying series.
The top three teams will advance automatically to the World Cup in Qatar next year, while the fourth-placed team will feature in an intercontinental playoff.
