Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid confirmed Friday that striker Obafemi Martins has been called into the Nigerian national team for the Super Eagles’ upcoming World Cup Qualifying matchups against Swaziland.
Martins has not played for the Super Eagles since March 23, 2013, and has only played for the team twice since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The call-up means that Martins will travel to Africa following the Sounders’ matchup against FC Dallas in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals in Frisco on Sunday. Nigeria will play in Swaziland on Nov. 13 and then host the second leg in Lagos on Nov. 17.
Martins, 31, has 26 caps for Nigeria in his career. He’s scored 40 goals in 72 games since joining the Sounders in 2012.
“Martins will offer us some other qualities in attack,” Nigeria Head Coach Sunday Oliseh said last week, “but first he must earn his place in the team.”
Schmid also confirmed Friday that midfielder Marco Pappa has been called in for the Guatemalan National Team, and that he’ll depart for Guatemala City following the Sounders’ matchup this weekend. Guatemala will host Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 13 and play at St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Nov. 17 in their first World Cup Qualifiers on the road to Russia 2018.
U.S. Soccer announced Friday that neither the Sounders’ Clint Demspey nor Brad Evans has been called in for the USMNT’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
