Nigerian striker Babatunde Adepoju finally earns Malawi call-up

Nigerian striker Babatunde Adepoju has finally been granted his wish to play for the national football team of his adopted country, Malawi.

The 29-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 close eight years ago.

He has played for other Malawi 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 has included the Bullets striker in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe.

“This marks Babatunde’s maiden call-up following his successful nationality switch, allowing him to officially represent Malawi at international level,” a statement from the Football Association of Malawi reads.

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

The Nigerian arrived in the Warm Heart of Africa in 2017 to sign for Masters Security FC, leading them to the Carlsberg Cup in 2018.

The towering forward went on to play for Wanderers in 2019 then jumped ship to rivals FCB Nyasa Big Bullets in 2021.

Adepoju is a cult-hero at Bullets. He scored his 59th goal for the Blantyre giants on his 100th appearance as they edged Ekhaya FC 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium on July 2, 2024.

How Nigerian Babatunde Adepoju found a new home in Malawi

Reflecting on his stay in Malawi, the Nigerian told Bullets’ TV it would be an honour to play for the Flames since he has never represented his country of birth.

“It is my wish because Malawi has given a lot. I am a successful footballer in Malawi. I would like to give back to the nation. If an opportunity comes, it is going to benefit myself and the nation,” he said.

The Blantyre-based player explained that he arrived in Lilongwe by default after having first tried his luck in neighbouring Tanzania but he was not successful.

“I left Nigeria for Tanzania but things didn’t work out,” he explained.

“I needed to find an option, so I came to Malawi in August 2017. I went to Blue Eagles FC and I got signed but because of one or two circumstances, I couldn’t play for them until 2018 when I left to join Masters Security FC. That is when I had a good season that made people know who Babatunde is. Eventually, I joined Wanderers where the real journey began.”

Adepoju does not stand a chance of playing for the Super Eagles looking at the depth of talent at their disposal.

The striker has achieved unparalleled success with the Peoples’ Team winning two league titles, FDH Cup and Airtel Top 8 in the process also bagging individual awards notably Golden Boot.

Adepoju is now set to feature for the Flames when they host Equatorial Guinea on 9th October 2025 at Bingu National Stadium, before travelling to Tunis for the away fixture against São Tomé and Príncipe four days later.