Sofascore’s release of the Top 10 Under-21 performers in the 2025/2026 Serie A campaign has placed Nigerian midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro among the league’s most exciting young players, Soccernet.ng reports.
The rankings, based on the opening eleven matchdays in the Italian top flight, feature only two Africans: Akinsanmiro and Senegal’s Mikail Faye.
Alongside him in the Top 10 list are standout youngsters Nico Paz (7.51), Jacobo Ramón (7.29), and Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz (7.27), making Akinsanmiro’s place among elite company all the more significant.
Akinsanmiro sits eighth with a season rating of 6.90, as he continues his rapid rise in Italy during what is effectively his first full year competing at the highest level. The 20-year-old has featured in ten of Pisa’s eleven league games, delivering one assist and consistently influencing games with composure well beyond his age.
The Beyond Limits Academy graduate earned his strongest ratings in the goalless draw with Fiorentina on September 28 and the 2-2 thriller against AC Milan at San Siro on October 24, where he provided the assist for one of Pisa’s goals.
His form carried into early November, producing standout showings in the 2-2 draw at Torino and the 1-0 victory over Cremonese, although an injury forced him off after 67 minutes in the latter fixture.
Seven of his ten appearances have seen him complete the full 90 minutes, an impressive level of trust from Pisa’s technical staff, given his age and the club’s competitive ambitions.
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Ebenezer Akinsanmiro: Why Eric Chelle still hasn’t called him up for Nigeria
Despite his impressive run in Italy, Akinsanmiro is yet to receive a call-up to the Nigerian national team.
He was widely tipped to make Eric Chelle’s squad for the November World Cup playoff matches against Gabon and DR Congo, but the Super Eagles coach overlooked him, likely due to the injury sustained against Cremonese.
With the Super Eagles criticised in recent weeks for lacking midfield steel and being easily bullied in key moments, pressure is slowly building on Chelle to consider fresh options. Akinsanmiro, with his blend of mobility, crisp passing, and tactical intelligence, fits the description of what the Nigerian midfield currently lacks.
Chelle is finalising his squad list for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which begins next month, and it would be a massive surprise if the youngster’s name is left out.
For now, Akinsanmiro remains focused on his club responsibilities. Pisa travel to Sassuolo on Monday, offering yet another platform for him to strengthen his case for a long-awaited international debut.
