Super Eagles player profile – Jordan Torunarigha set to make his debut

Jordan Torunarigha is one player Super Eagles fans can’t wait to see play his first match for the national team.

The centre-back has been invited by Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro ahead of international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.

This is his second invitation to the Nigerian national team after his call up for the against Sao Tome & Principe.

Who is Jordan Torunarigha?

Jordan Torunarigha was born in Chemnitz on 7 August 1997. He is the son of former footballer Ojokojo Torunarigha. He also has a footballer brother named Junior Torunarigha.

Jordan represented Germany at various youth levels before switching allegiance to represent Nigeria.

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Ojokojo Torunarigha emigrated to Germany where he played for Chemnitzer Fußball club from 1991 to 1995, scoring five goals in 77 matches for the club.

Club career

Torunarigha began his footballing career when he joined Hertha BSC as a child in 2006. He went on to put pen to paper on his first professional contract on 19 December 2016.

He began playing as a forward but Bertha’s U-15 team coach Ante Čović oversaw his change of position to a defender.

He made debut for Hertha Berlin’s first team on 4 February 2017. His first start for Hertha came on 5 April 2017 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Torunarigha netted his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win over Darmstadt 98 on 13 May of the same year.

Gent

Belgian First Division A side Gent signed the player on loan in January 2022. After impressing with the side, he joined permanently on 19 July 2022, signing a three-year deal.

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Torunarigha has enjoyed a great time at the Belgian Pro League outfit. His latest appearance for the club came in their 1-1 draw against Genk on Sunday.

He has made more than 70 appearances for Gent since joining them, having become a regular.

National Team football

Based in Belgium, Torunarigha was cleared by FIFA to represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

It is interesting to note that Jordan Torunarigha had also featured for Germany’s men’s Olympic football team.

Two years ago, during a friendly match against Honduras, Torunarigha was at the centre of a controversy when the German team walked off the field with five minutes left after the defender was allegedly racially abused.

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The game, played behind closed doors in three 30-minute periods, did not resume and finished 1-1.

Jordan Torunarigha is now looking forward to make his international bow against either Saudi Arabia or Mozambique.