Abraham Marcus admits his invitation to the Super Eagles came as a surprise and describe it as a dream come true.
Marcus was on Friday named in Nigeria’s 31-man squad for next month’s friendly against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon by head coach Gernot Rohr.
The 21-year-old’s invitation came as a surprise to football lovers in Nigeria, who had barely heard of the midfielder prior to his inclusion in the squad.
The versatile midfielder only broke into Portugal Liga 2 side CD Feirense first team this season following his arrival from Remo Stars Academy in 2018.
Marcus has scored 11 goals and recorded two assists in 24 league appearances for Feirense this season.
“I told my late dad before he passed that any time I step foot in Europe and have a good season, I will surely make it to the national team,” he told ESPN.
“My dad loved football and he always wanted to see me in the Super Eagles. So when I saw my name on the list, the first thing I did was to go straight to the bathroom to relieve myself. I did not believe it.
“I looked at the name again to make sure there was no mistake, and then I called my boss to ask him if this was really me or somebody else.
“Even when he said it was me, I still did not quite believe it and then a few minutes later, my phone started blowing up. I think that was when I finally believed that it was me.
“I was very, very excited when I saw my name on the list. It is a dream come true.”
The former COD United player, who has earned seven player of the match awards and one player of the month prize is looking forward to making his debut for the Super Eagles.
“Having a chance to play football is just a joy for me. My main focus is just to score goals. Any time I am on the pitch, I just try to do what the coach tells me so I can score.