“I called myself Okocha” – Germany-born Felix Agu’s Nigerian journey

When left back Felix Agu pulls on the green and white of Nigeria, he is not just stepping into a football shirt. He is stepping into a story that began long before his first kick of a ball.

Born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Agu grew up between two worlds, Osnabrück playgrounds and his dad’s stories of home.

“My dad was born in Nigeria and still kept connections with his family and everyone back home,” Agu told me after an early Bundesliga season game in the Wesserstadion, home of Werder Bremen. “Through him, I always kept in touch with the culture. Once I got the call-up and spoke to the coaches, it was very clear to me that I wanted to represent Nigeria.”

For many second-generation kids, identity can feel like a balancing act. Too German for Nigeria, too Nigerian for Germany. But Agu never saw it that way. “I always felt proud of my Nigerian heritage. I didn’t feel like I had to hide it,” he explains. “For me, it wasn’t difficult. I always represented it, and now I’m happy to represent it even more.”

From Osnabrück to Naija

Agu, 26, grew up in Osnabrück, a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. With fewer than 170,000 people, it is not a place where you will find many foreigners.

The Nigerian community in his hometown wasn’t large, “not like Berlin or Hamburg,” he admits, but it didn’t matter. “Nowadays, through YouTube, through online stuff, you stay connected. I grew up hearing the music, the language, the culture.”

His choice to play for the Super Eagles wasn’t just about football. It was about belonging. Having already played for Germany U21s, he embraced the opportunity to play international football with the Super Eagles. “With Germany, of course, I grew up here. But when Nigeria called, it was immediate for me. I knew.”

Okocha as a role model – Felix Agu

Like so many kids of his generation, Agu’s first footballing idol was Nigeria legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, who lit up the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt in the early 1990s, long before Agu was born in 1999. But the legacy of the Nigerian midfielder lives long in German folklore.

“I tried to call myself Okocha, but I’m definitely not as skillful as him,” Werder Bremen’s Felix Agu on his growing up in Germany. The left back has been called up for the Super Eagles in their must-win World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho & Benin https://t.co/DttxFGN4OH pic.twitter.com/EV9WCcSVly

— Lolade Adewuyi (@Jololade) October 4, 2025

“In Germany, his name was everywhere. One of the best goals in Bundesliga history was his (editor’s note: Bundesliga Goal of the Season 1993/94 season). I even tried to call myself Okocha, but I’m definitely not as skilful as him,” Agu laughs.

Now, Agu is carving out his own name, one rooted in both German and Nigerian pride.

With Nigeria facing a difficult two games in their attempt to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Agu knows what it means to the team.

“It’s no joke anymore,” he says about the challenge of World Cup qualification. “It’s performance and results. And I’m proud to bring both sides of who I am into that.”