A player who was eligible to play at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but was rejected the opportunity is now shining at the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
Michael Folorunsho came on as a substitute to make hist first international appearance for Italy at a major tournament during the side's 2-1 win over Albania in their tournament opener on Saturday.
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This came after the 26-year-old was called up by Azzurri manager Luciano Spalletti during the March international break but did not make his way on to the pitch on that occasion.
He went on to make his debut for the nation against Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this month, though, in a friendly leading up to the continental showpiece in Germany.
However, until recently, the midfielder was also eligible to play for Nigeria but was overlooked by them on a number of occasions over the past year.
A representative of the Napoli star spoke to Own Goal Nigeria earlier this year, and claimed that the player was overlooked for the most recent AFCON by then-Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro.
"Folorunsho was keen on playing at the AFCON and I tried to make it happen by texting the coach, but he didn't reply," he said in March.
"When I called, he picked and I introduced myself as a representative of Folorunsho and after a brief chat, he promised to get back to me.
"Days went by and I called him but he didn't pick up and didn't return my calls. It was two weeks later that the list of Nigeria for the tournament was made public. That's how we got to where we are at the moment."
Luckily for Folorunsho, Italy boss Spalletti felt different, having worked with him during their time together at Napoli.
"He is a beast. He offers different solutions physically, has a good outside shot, and excels in heading, which is crucial in set-piece plays," the Italian tactician has said of the midfielder previously.
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Folorunsho spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Hellas Verona, for whom he made 34 appearances, scoring five goals and bagging one assist.
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