AC Milan star, Zachary Athekame will no longer play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria after being cap-tied by Switzerland.
Those in charge of the Super Eagles had hoped to convince the Geneva-born right-back, who is currently on loan at Lyon, to represent Nigeria.
The player was eligible to play for Nigeria through his Nigerian father, but featuring in Switzerland’s 3-0 win over North Macedonia in the UEFA Nations League means that he will no longer play for the three-time African champions.
Athekame’s debut proved exceptional, as he provided assists for both of Zeki Amdouni’s goals.
Swiss manager, Murat Yakin selected the 21-year-old for the squad following a strong start to the season, during which he scored two goals and provided two assists in five Ligue 1 matches.
Prior to his senior debut for Switzerland, Athekame had represented the nation 17 times at the U21 level and was an unused substitute in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in October 2025.
The Nigeria Football Federation has also been unsuccessful in securing the services of former Inter Milan centre-back, Manuel Akanji, Leeds United forward, Noah Okafor, Venezia midfielder, Simon Sohm, Young Boys defender, Isaac Schmidt, and Strasbourg’s Eseosa Aigbogun.
Meanwhile, Onyinyechi Zogg chose to represent the Super Falcons and has earned two caps, but the Bern native is still eligible to play for Switzerland.