AC Milan's Zachary Athekame Chooses Switzerland Over Nigeria

Zachary Athekame, a right-back currently on loan at Lyon from AC Milan, will no longer play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria after being cap-tied by Switzerland. The Nigeria Football Federation had hoped to persuade Athekame, who is eligible to play for Nigeria through his Nigerian father, to represent Nigeria.

However, after featuring in Switzerland’s 3-0 victory over North Macedonia in the UEFA Nations League, he is now committed to the Swiss national team. Athekame's debut was notable as he assisted both goals scored by Zeki Amdouni.

The Swiss manager, Murat Yakin, selected Athekame for the squad following his impressive start to the season, where he scored two goals and provided two assists in five Ligue 1 matches. Before his senior debut for Switzerland, Athekame had played 17 times at the U21 level and was an unused substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in October 2025.

The Nigeria Football Federation has also been unsuccessful in securing other players, including Manuel Akanji and Noah Okafor.