Samson Tijani: In Slovakia’s league, but ready for Chelle in Uyo

Enugu-born midfielder Samson Tijani is the least familiar name in Eric Chelle's 24-man Super Eagles squad in Uyo, and the Podbrezova man says he is ready the moment he is called on against Tanzania.

Tijani, who plays his club football in Slovakia, is in camp for Friday's AFCON 2027 qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium and the return fixture in Zanzibar on Tuesday. He has worn the Nigeria shirt before, including at the Unity Cup in London in May.

Speaking in comments published by Pulse Nigeria on Friday, he described what a Nigeria call-up means to a player who has spent his career in central Europe.

Everyone in Nigeria that is playing football, I just want to play for the Nigeria national team. It's a big thing. It's like a pride for you, for your family, friends, all over Nigeria.

Asked about competing with more established names in midfield, he did not hide from it.

I don't see myself down. That's my motivation. I see myself challenging. I like to be challenged. When you get the opportunity, you grab it.

What he says about the camp

Tijani was warm about how the squad has treated him, saying the players are professional, support everyone and have great chemistry. Of the senior men around him, he said they are at the very top and that it shows in their behaviour and the way they play.

On the double-header itself, he was direct: the most important thing is to get six points, home and away.

Analysis: Why a squad player's mindset matters this week

Nigeria sit second in Group L after the 3-0 defeat in Guinea-Bissau, and two matches in five days against a side with nothing to lose will test the depth of Chelle's squad as much as its first eleven. Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi cannot play every minute of both games.

That is where a player in Tijani's position becomes relevant. Nobody in Uyo expects him to start, but a coach rotating for Tuesday's trip needs midfielders who are sharp rather than sulking, and Tijani's answers suggest a player who has made peace with waiting.

He is one of several newer names Chelle has brought into this camp, alongside Slavia Prague teenager Mubarak Suleiman. Whether any of them get on the pitch will say plenty about how comfortable Nigeria's evening is in the qualifier against Tanzania.