Former Ghana U-17 defender Najeeb Yakubu has opened up about his decision to switch allegiance to Niger, citing a lack of love and appreciation from his native country.

The right-back, who was instrumental in Niger's 2-1 victory over Ghana in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, shared his emotional story in a recent interview with Joy Sports.

Najeeb Yakubu was a member of Ghana's U-17 team, the Black Starlets, which made it to the finals of the U-17 AFCON, only to narrowly miss out on the title after a heartbreaking loss to Mali in the championship match but the lack of affection from Ghana led to a painful decision that has left many questioning his loyalty. "I didn't feel loved so I had to just go where I felt loved.

And people were knocking even from this time, Niger.