By Daily Sports on August 1, 2018

The sight of a united France in celebration as they blazed the trail to winning the World Cup in Russia was a victory for liberalism. With players from different social,cultural, religious and racial backgrounds all involved in the success of the French national team at the mundiale,the European nation has greatly benefited from its policy of integration in the field of sports and the wild celebrations across France amongst hundreds of thousands of fans as the victorious French team returned to France was a warm pointer to what is possible when people of different races and religions come together to work for a common cause.

In other parts of western Europe such racial integration in Sports is growing.Despite the fiasco of Germany's performance in Russia 2018 that was mostly blamed on the distraction caused by the problems associated with immigrant players of Die Manshaaft Mezut Ozil and Ikay Gundogan posing and identifying with the president of Turkey(from where they originate) Recep Erdogan,a man whose political values do not sit well with that of much of German society,there is no great threat to the rising trend of European nations absorbing sportsmen from different ethnic and racial backgrounds into their national teams simply for their sporting national interests and a more rounded and fairer society For themselves.

It is along this line that Nigeria-born sensational young attacker Pascal Durugbor, who is playing his club football in Sweden with 3rd division side Vaxjo could become a coveted Swedish international given his impressive scoring performances since he arrived the Nordic country.

Durugbor was signed from Nigeria's grassroots club Rock Stars in academy in January after he impressed in a scouting program put together by Swedish football development company Tiki Taka in December last year.

Since his January move to Vaxjo,18-year-old Durugbor has not looked back on banging in goals for his modest club.He's notched up 9 goals in  11 games and he hit a brace recently in a friendly match for Vaxjo as the team prepares for resumption of league activities.

A great attribute of the striker is that he can shoot and score with both legs, while his game reading, balance and movement are other qualities that have ensured that his profile in Europe is fast on the rise.

Feelers from Sweden comfirm two things. Durugbor is being hotly tipped for a move to a bigger club either in Sweden or elsewhere in Europe and he is as well already being talked up in Sweden as a potential youth international for Sweden who could rise up to become a senior Sweden national team player in future given that he's never represented his country of birth,Nigeria.

It is not strange for Sweden to have a Nigerian playing for them at international level sports. My own cousin Edijana Dafe (born 27 May 1990) is a Swedish female handballer who plays as a left wing for Swedish club BK Heid and the Swedish national team. 

If Pascal's form countinue to improve in Sweden , as is expected, then tthe possibility of him playing for Sweden will increase as well. Simple as that.

At the moment,the young lad is eligible to represent Nigeria at the under-20 level and the impression I get from those close to him is that his heart is with playing for Nigeria.

But it's inconceivable that he will shut the door completely on Sweden where he has found himself very much at home so far.

The Paul Aigbogun-led technical crew of the 'Flying Eagles' will need to cast a wider eye on some of the finest Nigerian talents around the world like Durugbor as Nigeria search for a ticket to the junior World Cup and look to win the under-20 World Cup for the first time in the country's history.

Otherwise  Nigeria's loss may just be sweden's gain. 

•Photo shows Pascal Durugbor in action for Vaxjo in Sweden.

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 1, 2018

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