Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha has said he has rejected a chance to play for the Super Eagles because he is confident he will lead the attack of Holland at next year’s World Cup.
Emegha scored 14 goals last season in Ligue 1 to help Strasbourg qualify to play in Europe in the new season.
He claimed he was approached by Nigeria to play for the Super Eagles, but his ambition is to lead the strike force of Holland, where he was grew up.
“They (Nigeria) approached me, yes, but my heart is with the Netherlands,” he explained in the podcast Kick ‘t Met by Ziggo Sport.
“I grew up here, this is my home. My mother consciously chose Holland at the time, because she believed in a better life for us.”
For Emegha, this choice is not an opportunistic decision, but a principled one.
“The Netherlands has given me and my family so much. Everything I achieve now has been made possible by the opportunities I got here,” he says gratefully.
This connection also translates into his ambition: he does not only want to get Oranje, but also to carry it.
“I’ll be the striker of Oranje, period,” he said with a surprising amount of self-confidence.
The attacker previously played minutes with Jong Oranje and feels that he is ready for the next step.
When suggested that he should play a key role in the 2026 World Cup, he doesn’t hesitate for a second.
“I don’t have to, I will be,” he said with a confident smile.
