Akinsanmiro Misses Super Eagles Training Ahead of Algeria Clash

Super Eagles midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro missed a training session as Nigeria stepped up preparations for their AFCON 2025 quarter-final against Algeria in Marrakech. The Pisa-on-loan midfielder sat out the recovery session following Nigeria’s 4–0 victory over Mozambique because he is slightly under the weather, according to reports.

Akinsanmiro was not involved in the team’s latest training session as precautionary measures were taken by the Super Eagles’ medical staff, but the condition is not considered serious and he is expected to rejoin full training soon as the squad continues preparations.

The 21 year old midfielder has yet to make his competitive AFCON debut in Morocco, with head coach Eric Chelle preferring other options so far.

Editorial

In the urgent cadence of tournament football, even the smallest disruption can feel disproportionate, especially on the eve of a knockout confrontation. Ebenezer Akinsanmiro’s absence from a Super Eagles training session ahead of the Algeria quarter-final is, on the surface, a minor footnote. Yet it speaks to the infinitesimal balance inherent in elite competition — where preparation, fitness and psychological readiness converge in ways that define outcomes.

Akinsanmiro, a burgeoning talent whose swift rise from Pisa to the Nigerian fold has been one of the more intriguing subplots of this AFCON, finds himself momentarily at a crossroads. To miss a session due to a slight indisposition is hardly unprecedented; however, in the tightly scheduled recovery cycle of tournament football, such interruptions are felt keenly, both by the individual and the collective psyche.

Coach Eric Chelle, ever methodical in his approach, will no doubt weigh this absence not as a signal of fragility but as an element of management balancing caution with necessity. In a squad already blending experience and youth, every player’s condition is a tactical variable. Akinsanmiro’s ability to re-engage fully in training could determine not just his involvement against Algeria but also the depth of Nigeria’s midfield options as the competition intensifies.

Football’s narratives are seldom linear. They are composed of recoveries, setbacks and the quiet resilience of players navigating physical knocks and tactical demands. In the crucible of AFCON knockout football, this moment small though it may be reminds us that readiness is both physical and psychological. And in that duality lies the fragile art of preparation for glory.

Did You Know?

1. Akinsanmiro was one of the earlier arrivals to the Super Eagles camp in Cairo as Nigeria geared up for AFCON 2025 preparations.
2. He is on loan at Serie A club Pisa from Italian giants Inter Milan, where he is gaining valuable top-flight experience.
3. Akinsanmiro made his Super Eagles debut in a pre-tournament friendly against Egypt in Cairo, playing the opening 45 minutes.
4. Despite being a newcomer, he has been highlighted as one of the Serie A players to watch at AFCON 2025, reflecting his rising profile.
5. Nigeria’s training camp began in Cairo before the team relocated to Fès, Morocco, where the tournament knockout stages are being played.