World Cup (Q): Nigerian Adepoju emotional after Malawi call-up

Nigerian striker Babatunde Adepoju has reacted to his first call-up to the national football team of Malawi, his adopted country. He is part of the squad to face Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday and Monday respectively.

Adepoju has since described his journey from Lagos to Dar es Salaam, where he first arrived before detouring to Malawi as a good and sad one.

“My journey to Malawi is interesting at the same time a sad one,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Malawi is now my home. Arriving in 2017, the country has given me almost everything. Met coaches who helped me to be where I am, not at my best, but I still believe to do more.

“It feels good to represent this beautiful country while in this journey. Together with my team-mates and technical team, I believe we can do a lot. In everything we thank God. Mulungu wa mphamvu dalitsani [God Almighty] Malawi, the Flames. God over everything.”

How Nigerian Babatunde Adepoju found himself in Malawi

The 30-year-old, who plays for Malawi’s record league champions FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, has always expressed his wish to play for the Flames. He left Nigerian as a little-known footballer in 2017 heading to Tanzania while looking for greener pastures.

He ended up in Malawi where he played for elite teams such as Masters Security FC (now defunct) and Mighty Wanderers, in the process winning the league’s golden boot awards, and team trophies such as Carlsberg Cup, Airtel Top 8 and the Super League title more than once.

A few weeks ago, Adepoju finally earned the citizenship of Malawi, as the country’s laws now permits dual citizenship. The last step was for the towering forward to earn Malawi passport.

Now, the Flames coach Kalisto Pasuwa named the Bullets striker in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The Super League’s leading scorer was not in the initial 26-member squad Pasuwa released last week.

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