Nigeria women’s national team coach, Justin Madugu has confirmed that he is closely monitoring the progress of Bayern Munich forward Edna Imade, while expressing hope that the 23-year-old will choose to represent the Super Falcons over the Spain women’s national team.
Speaking in an interview with Nigerian Football, Madugu addressed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Imade’s international future.
The Nigerian-born forward, who grew up in Spain, rose to prominence last season after an outstanding campaign with Granada CF, where she scored nine goals in 11 starts before securing a move to Bayern Munich in the summer.
She is currently on loan at Real Sociedad in the Spanish Liga F.
“I’ve been following her progress, just like that of many of our players overseas,” Madugu said.
“She had an excellent campaign with Granada last season and is already doing well on loan at Real Sociedad. She is aware that we are monitoring her performance.”
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The coach revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has made several attempts to reach out to Imade through official channels and player intermediaries, but the forward has yet to make a firm commitment.
“Despite several efforts, writing to her club and even reaching out through some of our players in Spain last season, she is yet to fully make up her mind.”
“Whatever she decides, we respect her decision and wish her good luck,” he added.
Madugu also addressed reports suggesting that Imade’s representatives may be weighing a possible allegiance to Spain, emphasizing that Nigeria’s door remains open to the talented forward.
“I was reliably informed that she was initially keen about playing for Nigeria,” Madugu continued.
“I don’t want to believe her representatives are complicating things due to speculated interest from Spain, but we truly value her talent. She would be a great addition to our setup.”
The coach reiterated that the Super Falcons are open to integrating top players from both home and abroad, provided they bring the right mentality and quality to the team.
“We want the best players, both home-based and abroad, to give us a blend of strong mentality, character, quality, and experience,” he concluded.
Edna Imade’s situation echoes that of several dual-eligible players of Nigerian descent who have attracted interest from multiple national teams, including England and Spain.
