CLOSE-UP: Arsenal academy product, ex-Remo Stars player… five newcomers named in Eagles’ AFCON squad

On Thursday, Eric Chelle, Super Eagles head coach, released his final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The team comprises established stars and new faces as the Eagles seek fresh impetus after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 

William Troost-Ekong’s retirement announced the gradual phasing out of the old guard. Chelle’s list also identified some of the new generations that might be taking over.

If the exclusion of Maduka Okoye was the biggest surprise, the inclusion of some newbies was widely expected. Five players got their first-ever call-up to the Eagles camp.

One of them is a product of the Arsenal academy, another joined Inter Milan while playing in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and two are ex-Flying Eagles players. The last one won an Olympic bronze for Nigeria and once scored a goal that started a social media frenzy.

Here are short profiles on the five newcomers in the Eagles squad for the 2025 AFCON:

RYAN ALEBIOSU (BLACKBURN ROVERS)

Alebiosu was born in England to Nigerian parents, and he is a product of the prestigious Arsenal FC academy. He joined the Gunners’ youth setup at age eight and progressed through the ranks in the same group as Bukayo Saka.

Alebiosu signed his professional contract for Arsenal in 2020. He never made a competitive debut for Arsenal, and the closest he came to playing for the first team was as an unused substitute in the English Premier League (EPL) home match against Burnley in January 2022.

He left Arsenal in 2023 and joined K.V. Kortrijk in the Netherlands. His spell away from England shaped Alebiosu into a dependable right-back who is also versatile enough to play in the midfield.

He returned to England in July and joined Blackburn Rovers, where he has played more minutes than any other player on the team. Blackburn are currently 20th in the English Championship.

Alebiosu’s inclusion in the Eagles’ AFCON squad is due to injuries to Ola Aina and Benjamin Fredrick, two players who have performed efficiently in the team’s right-back position.

Alebiosu will be deputising Bright Osayi-Samuel when the AFCON kicks off in Morocco.

EBENEZER AKINSANMIRO (PISA SC ON LOAN FROM INTER MILAN)

Akinsanmiro is a product of Beyond Limit Academy, owned by Remo Stars management. He made his debut for the senior team as a teenager and was part of the squad that earned promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for the second division.

He was playing in the NPFL when Inter Milan came calling in 2023. He signed for the Italian giants at just 18. In his first year in Italy, Akinsanmiro played predominantly for Inter’s under-19 team and made his senior appearance for the club, against Lecce, in 2024.

He was then loaned to Sampdoria for a season before his current spell at Pisa SC. Akinsanmiro is a central midfielder and has been a consistent starter for his club this season. The highlight of his impressive campaign was the game against AC Milan at the San Siro, where he bagged his first goal contribution of the campaign.

USMAN MUHAMMED (IRONI TIBERIAS)

Mohammed is a 31-year-old midfielder who plays for Ironi Tiberias in the Israeli first division. He was a member of Nigeria’s U-23 men’s team that won bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Two years later, he produced the most major highlight of his career. The Super Eagles played Atletico Madrid in an unofficial friendly in 2018 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The Nigerian team was a mixture of home-based players and a handful of fringe stars abroad. Although the Eagles lost 3-2, Mohammed stole the show, scoring a goal that became a social media sensation for weeks.

TOCHUKWU NNADI (ZULTE WAREGEM)

Nnadi is a 22-year-old midfielder, who plays for Zulte in Belgium’s Pro League. He was a member of the Flying Eagles that reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

Nnadi is a home-grown talent who started his football career with Campos FC in Owerri, Imo. He moved to Madenat Alamal Football Academy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2019 and, after a successful trial, joined Botev Plovdiv of Bulgaria in August 2021.

He was signed by Zulte in 2024 and was part of the squad that earned promotion to Belgium’s top division last season.

SALIM FAGO LAWAL (NK ISTRA 1961)

Lawal is a 22-year-old striker playing for NK Istra 1961 in the Croatian top division. He was a member of the Flying Eagles that reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina. He was the team’s first-choice striker and scored one goal.

He has scored three goals and provided two assists in 15 games for NK Istra this season, as the team remains fifth in the table.