German national team has stricter rules than Nigeria, reveals Torunarigha

Gent star Jordan Torunarigha has revealed that the German national team has stricter rules than the Nigeria national team.

Eligible for two countries, Nigeria and Germany, Torunarigha opted to play for the latter in his youth. He played for all the German teams up to Under-21 level, but he failed to make it into the senior team.

Eventually, Torunarigha decided to make a U-turn on his international career this year, dropping the German badge for the Super Eagles.

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Coach Jose Peseiro handed the 26-year-old centre-back his first senior team call-up ahead of Nigeria’s finals fixture of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against Sao Tome and Principe. Torunarigha resumed camp early, and he has been training with the team since they opened camp on Tuesday.

The Chemnitz-born defender seems to have settled in nicely, and he has revealed some of the differences he has noticed between playing Germany and his short time with the Super Eagles.

“Playing for both countries is really different because Germany is really strict,” Torunarigha told NFF TV.

“In Germany, you can’t go into meetings with flip-flops, you have to wear normal shoes. But here, you can go with flip flops, and everyone is looking fun. In Germany everyone is organized and strict. But here, it’s a little easier.

The game against Sao Tome and Principe is set for Sunday, and Torunarigha could make his debut. It would be a soft landing for him, as the Super Eagles are expected to dominate and win the game convincingly.