Nathan Tella recently made his debut for the Nigerian national football team, fulfilling his choice to play for Nigeria in international competitions. He was called up for the first time in November 2023, during the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. The Bayer Leverkusen winger impressed in his international debut, contributing to a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe.
Despite his strong performance, Tella did not make the final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. Disappointed by this missed opportunity, he expressed his thoughts, stating, ‘I really wanted to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations and I wasn’t called up. I was quite disappointed. I’m obviously disappointed that Nigeria didn’t win, but I’m also very happy for my teammate Odilon Kossounou,’ as revealed in an interview with DFL digital sports.
However, this absence from the national team allowed Tella to gain more playing time with his club. With several injuries affecting Bayer Leverkusen, Tella saw this as an opportunity to showcase his skills. ‘At the same time, I saw it as a chance to play here. We had four players. Unfortunately, Victor Boniface got injured. With four players missing, I would have more opportunities, and I believe that’s what I did. I was able to play more and I was able to score,’ Tella admitted.
