Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation have made repeated efforts to convince Edna Imade to play for Nigeria, Soccernet.ng reports.
However, the Nigerian football body has received no response from her camp as Spain intensify their push for the 25-year-old.
Imade, who is currently on loan at Real Sociedad from Bayern Munich, has been one of the standout performers in Liga F this season. Her performance has attracted a strong interest from the Spanish national team.
However, despite holding a Nigerian passport, she is yet to make a decision on the country she intends to represent.
What Justin Madugu said about Edna Imade’s switch
Speaking to journalist Osasu Obayiuwana after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin in Abeokuta in the WAFCON qualifiers, Madugu confirmed that he has pursued the forward since her time at Granada, but the response from her representatives has been non-existent.
“I made approaches to Edna. We want her to come and play for Nigeria,” Madugu said. “I tried to reach out two or three times to get feedback on her feelings about playing for Nigeria because I was aware some people from her family want her to play for Nigeria. But the agents around her, and the team she plays for, are really trying to see how they can get her to play for Spain.”
Spain pushes; Nigeria get silence
The Falcons coach explained that attempts were made through players based in Spain and later through her agent, yet no contact was established.
“I used some of our players in Spain to speak with her. When I got feedback from them, I tried to reach out to her agent, to try and connect us with her through the family. We told them our intention — that we want her to come and play for Nigeria. We didn’t get a response.”
With Spain reportedly pushing aggressively to secure the forward, Madugu stressed that the final decision rests solely with Imade.
“It’s not something that we can impose. She has to take a decision for herself. Does she want to play for Nigeria or Spain? … I’m aware she has a Nigerian passport, but the Spanish authorities are doing everything possible to get her to play for them.”
Imade’s decision is expected to become one of Nigeria’s most closely watched football stories in the coming months, as the Super Falcons continue rebuilding ahead of major international tournaments.