Morocco 2025: Akinsanmiro shocked by Super Eagles AFCON call-up

Newly invited Pisa Sporting Club midfielder, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, has said he was shocked and emotional after being called up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Speaking to NFF TV from the Super Eagles’ training camp in Cairo, the uncapped midfielder said he could not believe his name was included in coach Eric Sekou Chelle’s 28-man squad.

“When I saw the invitation, I called someone close to me and started crying,” Akinsanmiro said. “It has been my dream for a long time.”

Akinsanmiro explained that his journey to the national team was not easy. He revealed that there was a time he doubted whether football could guarantee him a future.

“At one point, I felt football was not something you can be sure of,” he said. “I stopped playing for some months and even thought of learning barbing as a job.”

He said his father and two brothers, who also played football when they were younger, encouraged him not to give up.

The midfielder also spoke about earlier failed attempts to make Nigeria’s U-17 and U-20 teams, as well as an injury that once stopped him from joining the national setup.

Now fully fit and confident, Akinsanmiro says he is ready to give his best for Nigeria at the AFCON.

“I am grateful for this opportunity and ready to do my best for the Super Eagles,” he added.