- Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha went viral after wearing Nigeria’s iconic 1996 Super Eagles jersey
- Fans urged the teenager to commit his international future to Nigeria instead of England
- Ngumoha enjoyed a breakthrough season at Liverpool after leaving Chelsea in 2024
Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha has sparked fresh excitement among Nigerian football fans after appearing in a viral video wearing the legendary 1996 Super Eagles jersey.
The teenage forward, who remains eligible to represent Nigeria internationally, was seen casually showing off the iconic green-and-white retro shirt in an upbeat TikTok clip posted by Liverpool players’ official hairstylist, @nanahdidthat.
Source: TikTok
The video quickly spread across TikTok and X, with supporters immediately debating whether the youngster could eventually choose the Super Eagles over England.
Many fans praised Ngumoha for embracing his Nigerian roots, while others warned the Nigeria Football Federation not to lose another elite talent to a European country.
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Fans plead with Ngumoha to choose Nigeria
The clip triggered emotional reactions from supporters who fear Nigeria could miss out on another major dual-national player.
One fan, @OgundareKayode6, urged the NFF to act quickly.
“NFF should do everything to make him play for Nigeria. Front three of Lookman, Osimhen and Rio Ngumoha.”
Another supporter, @guner4va, added:
“Super Eagles must do everything to get this boy into the setup as soon as possible.”
Some fans, however, remained sceptical because of previous disappointments involving foreign-born players eligible for Nigeria.
@BankyGee_ wrote:
“It’s not by wearing Nigeria’s jersey. Will he actually play for Nigeria? This guy looks like someone who would “Tosin” us. Baba, remove my jersey from your neck please ”
Another user, @Johnnyoriann, joked:
“Use Nigeria to flex, play for England.”
Others referenced Bukayo Saka’s decision to represent England despite openly embracing his Nigerian heritage in the past.
@wgeeez posted:
“Just remembered Saka said he was a Naija boy, not English, and then went to play for England the next month.”
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Meanwhile, several fans described the 1996 Super Eagles shirt as the greatest Nigerian jersey ever made.
@BobMfonmma wrote:
“This 1996 jersey is the best Super Eagles jersey ever made in the history of Nigerian football.”
Ngumoha enjoying breakthrough season at Liverpool
The excitement surrounding Ngumoha comes after an impressive debut season at Liverpool.
According to the Premier League, the teenager recently won Home Grown Debutant of the Season and Scholar of the Year awards following his rapid rise at the club.
Ngumoha became Liverpool’s youngest goalscorer after scoring a stoppage-time winner against Newcastle United on his debut at just 16 years and 361 days old.
The winger has already made 17 Premier League appearances this season, including three starts.
He has also accumulated more top-flight minutes than any player aged 17 or younger.
Source: Getty Images
Last month, Ngumoha scored in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield, becoming the youngest player ever to score at the stadium.
At 17 years and 225 days, he broke the previous record held by former England winger Raheem Sterling.
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According to Opta, he became the youngest player to complete as many as seven dribbles in a single Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur in March.
England and Nigeria battle for Ngumoha
Born in England, Ngumoha is eligible to represent Nigeria through his parents and also qualifies for France through Guadeloupean heritage.
The talented winger has already represented England at Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 levels and participated in the 2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Source: Getty Images
Despite his involvement with England’s youth teams, Ngumoha remains eligible to play for the Super Eagles at the senior level.
The winger previously spent several years at Chelsea’s academy before joining Liverpool in 2024, a move which caused tensions between both clubs because of the circumstances surrounding his exit.
Liverpool celebrated Ngumoha’s Nigerian roots
Legit.ng previously reported that Liverpool celebrated Ngumoha’s debut goal against Newcastle United by using Igbo music in a social media post.
The club used Flavour’s song Game Changer as background music while showcasing the youngster’s achievement online. The gesture was also widely praised by Nigerian supporters, who continue hoping Ngumoha will eventually commit his international future to the Super Eagles.
Source: Legit.ng