Ebenezer Akinsanmiro on loan at Pisa SC from Inter Milan has been named in Nigeria’s final squad for , his manager Alberto Gilardino confirmed on Monday.
Akinsanmiro’s strong form for Pisa this season earned him the selection. The 21 year old had earlier been tipped for a place in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs but injury prevented that. He made his return to action in Pisa’s recent 1–0 home defeat to Parma Calcio 1913, coming on at the start of the second half.
Gilardino revealed that after Pisa’s upcoming match against US Lecce on December 12, Akinsanmiro will join the camp of Super Eagles ahead of AFCON. The Eagles will begin their preparations next week, as they gear up for the continental tournament.
Editorial
There are moments in football when a young name flickers faint at first, then suddenly, brightly. Ebenezer Akinsanmiro’s selection for the Super Eagles’ final AFCON squad is little short of such a moment. It does not arrive on the back of media hype, but on merit on calm performances in Italy’s top flight, and promise translated into production.
At just 21, and on loan at Pisa, he has emerged not as a headline-seeking wonderkid, but as a reliable, intelligent midfield presence tidy in possession, composed under pressure, with energy that belies his age. Nigeria have long faced a midfield conundrum experienced, yes, but often lacking the vim and mobility modern football demands. Akinsanmiro offers that a fresh profile box-to-box engine, capable passer, potential long-run staple.
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Yet the gravity of this call-up should not be understated. AFCON is seldom kind to untested youths thrown into the deep end. It demands resilience, mental steel, readiness for chaos. For Akinsanmiro, this is baptism by fire. But he arrives not as a gamble, but as a considered bet one based on form, fitness, and quietly earned trust. If Nigeria are to rebuild, to marry experience with renewal, then this may be one of those nights that mark the beginning of something.
Did You Know?
- Akinsanmiro made his Serie A debut earlier this season after joining Pisa, which made his rapid climb to international recognition more remarkable.
- According to recent performance rankings, he is listed among the top 10 Under-21 players in the 2025/26 Serie A season one of only two Africans to achieve that.
- In his return from injury against Parma, Akinsanmiro completed 96% of his passes in the opposition half and 100% in his own half he also created a big chance and made four key passes during the match.
- The preliminary 54-man squad announced earlier for AFCON 2025 already included several midfield veterans but Akinsanmiro’s inclusion in the final 28-man list suggests the coaching staff wants fresh legs and energy in midfield.
- Before moving to Europe, Akinsanmiro developed at the academy of Nigerian club Remo Stars which speaks to the growing trend of local Nigerian academies producing talent capable of bridging continental and European football.
