Super Eagles star Osayi-Samuel breaks into Championship top three

Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has moved into the top three of the EFL Championship’s tackling charts, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Birmingham City right-back is joint-third in the current tackling ranking published by Fussballeuropa. The table is based on the number of tackles made by players in the Championship, with Osayi-Samuel’s total putting him alongside the division’s leading ball-winners.

His defensive numbers have been built across a busy start to the 2026/27 campaign. Osayi-Samuel has started seven Championship matches for Birmingham, playing more than 550 league minutes, while being among the league’s leading defenders for tackles won.

The 28-year-old has also produced some of those numbers in high-pressure matches. Against Derby County at Pride Park on September 12, he made five tackles, the highest total by any player in Birmingham’s 2-1 victory. He also won nine duels in the match as Birmingham collected three points away from home.

That work rate fits Osayi-Samuel’s role. He can defend one-on-one, push forward from right-back and cover large spaces when Birmingham lose possession. His current form gives Chelle another experienced option in a position where Nigeria already have Ola Aina and several younger alternatives.

Osayi-Samuel joined Birmingham from Fenerbahce in July 2025 after four years in Turkey. His first Championship season brought 27 league appearances and 1,554 minutes ahead of the new campaign.

Osayi-Samuel, Super Eagles dependable defender

Osayi-Samuel’s importance to Nigeria grew sharply at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after Ola Aina was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The Birmingham defender stepped into the right-back position and started Nigeria’s first two group games against Tanzania and Tunisia. He played 90 minutes in both matches as Nigeria opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Tanzania and then beat Tunisia 3-2.

His performance against Tunisia was particularly eventful. Osayi-Samuel helped Nigeria control the right side for most of the game, but he conceded the penalty that allowed Tunisia to launch its late comeback.

Nigeria rotated him out for the final group match against Uganda, but he returned to the starting XI for the knockout stage. He played 90 minutes in the 4-0 round-of-16 victory over Mozambique, 89 minutes in the 2-0 quarter-final win against Algeria and the full 120 minutes of the goalless semi-final against Morocco.

The Algeria game produced one of his strongest displays of the tournament, as Osayi-Samuel helped Nigeria keep a clean sheet in the 2-0 quarter-final win.

The Super Eagles finished with a bronze medal at the tournament after losing against hosts Morocco in the semi-final and beating Egypt in the third-place playoff. The three-time African champions have started preparations towards qualifying for the next edition of the AFCON to be hosted by three East African countries.

Chelle is expected to name his squad for Nigeria’s September AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, with established internationals expected to form the core of the group. Nigeria will host Madagascar before travelling to Guinea-Bissau four days later.