New Crawley Town defender Benjamin Tanimu has been called up to replace Bright Osayi-Samuel in Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda, Soccernet.ng reports.
Interim Super Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen, made the decision after Osayi-Samuel was ruled out due to an ankle injury.
The Fenerbahçe fullback had already missed his club’s last two league matches, and his absence leaves Eguavoen with limited options at right-back.
Originally, Osayi-Samuel was expected to compete with Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina for the right-back position.
With Osayi-Samuel sidelined, Aina remains the only natural right-back in the squad, but Tanimu, primarily a centre-back, could also fill the role if needed.
Tanimu’s inclusion in the squad is somewhat surprising, considering his experience as a central defender.
Despite his lack of experience at right-back, Eguavoen has opted for Tanimu over Remo Stars’ Ismail Sadiq, who also made his Super Eagles debut in June under Finidi.
Sadiq had been seen by many as the more natural replacement for Osayi-Samuel, but Eguavoen’s decision reflects his confidence in Tanimu’s ability to adapt.
Tanimu has seen a rapid rise in his career this year, moving from Bendel Insurance to Tanzanian side Singida Black Stars in February before securing a move to Crawley Town just before the transfer window closed.
His international breakthrough came under former Super Eagles coach George Finidi, who handed him his first cap during friendly matches in March.
Interestingly, Finidi started the 22-year-old in both of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers against Benin and South Africa in June.
Meanwhile, as the Super Eagles prepare for their AFCON 2025 campaign, more players have joined the national team camp in Uyo.
Nantes forward Moses Simon and U.S.-based midfielder Alhassan Yusuf have reported, along with Tanimu and AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze, bringing the total number of players in camp to 18.
Five more are expected to arrive as Nigeria aims to kick off their qualification campaign on a strong note.
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