Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has revealed that Spanish authorities are making efforts to convince Real Sociedad forward Edna Imade to represent Spain instead of Nigeria, a move that has delayed her debut for the 10-time African champions, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Madugu disclosed that several attempts were made to reach out to the player, but communication with her camp has remained unresponsive.

“I made approaches to Edna. We want her to come and play for Nigeria. I tried to reach out two or three times, to get feedback on her feelings about playing for Nigeria because I was aware some people, from her family, want her to play for Nigeria. But the agents around her, and the team she plays for, are really trying to see how they can get her to play for Spain,” Madugu said in an interview with journalist Osasu Obayiuwana

The coach explained that efforts to connect through her agent and family began during her time at Granada, but despite using Nigerian players based in Spain to reach out, they received no feedback.

“It’s not something that we will decide. She has to take a decision for herself. Does she want to play for Nigeria or Spain? I made an approach when she was with her former team, Granada. I used some of our players in Spain to speak with her. When I got feedback from them, I tried to reach out to her agent to connect us through the family. We told them our intention that we want her to come and play for Nigeria. We didn’t get a response from them,” he added.

Madugu confirmed that Imade holds a Nigerian passport but insisted that Spain is actively attempting to secure her allegiance.

“I’m aware that she has a Nigerian passport, but the Spanish authorities are doing everything possible to see how they can get her to play for them. Like I said, it’s for her to decide who she wants to play for, but we have made effort in trying to reach out to her, to see how she can come and play for Nigeria,” he said.

Born on October 5, 2000 in Nigeria, the 25-year-old forward began her senior career in Spain with Malaga in 2019 before moving to CP Cacereño and later Granada, spending two years with each club.

In the summer of 2025, she signed a four-year contract with Bayern Munich, who subsequently loaned her to Real Sociedad for the 2025–26 season.

Imade recently made headlines after scoring the decisive goal in Real Sociedad’s 1–0 win over Liga F champions Barcelona, ending their 10-match winning run across all competitions and handing them their first away league defeat since May 2023.

Her growing influence in Spanish football now places her at the centre of a nationality tug-of-war between Nigeria and Spain, as both nations look to secure the promising striker’s international future. (PUNCH)