Rafiu Durosinmi has described his maiden Super Eagles call up as a dream becoming reality, with the Pisa striker set to make his international debut against Zimbabwe at the 2026 Unity Cup in London.
Pisa striker Rafiu Durosinmi has spoken publicly for the first time about his inclusion in Nigeria’s squad for the 2026 Unity Cup, describing the call-up as one of the most significant moments of his career. The 23 year old, who joined Pisa from Viktoria Plzen in January 2026 for a fee of nine million euros, is among the new faces coach Eric Chelle has drafted into the squad for the London tournament. Nigeria take on Zimbabwe in the semi final at Charlton Athletic’s Valley stadium on May 26, with Durosinmi in line to make his debut. Fans planning to follow Nigeria’s Unity Cup campaign can use the latest Bet9ja promotion code to get the best odds ahead of the semi-final.
“It’s a great honour out of many talents from Nigeria and all over the world,” Durosinmi told the Super Eagles media team in London. “I sent a message to my family, and agent. They were also happy with the invitation.” The striker, who is six feet four inches tall and plays as a centre forward, admitted the call up felt surreal after years of working toward it. “It means a lot to me. It is a great honour to put on the jersey. It is just like seeing dreams come to pass. You dreamt about playing and representing your country and now you have the chance.”
Ambition Runs Deep
Durosinmi did not arrive in London merely to make up the numbers. His stated ambitions for his international career are clear-eyed and specific. “I want to finish my career as a legend,” he said. “I want to be someone that plays for Super Eagles, the name they would remember. When Durosinmi played for Super Eagles, he gave his best and was one of the best. That’s how I want to finish my career.” For a player born in Lagos on January 1, 2003, who started his European journey in the Czech lower leagues, those words carry the weight of a long road already travelled.
His path to this point was anything but straightforward. After coming through youth football at Box2Box FC in Nigeria, Durosinmi joined Karvina in the Czech Republic in 2021. A loan move to Viktoria Plzen followed in January 2023, and Plzen exercised their option to sign him permanently that June. He spent two and a half seasons in the Czech top flight, racking up seven goals in 18 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26 before Pisa paid a club-record fee to bring him to Serie A in January 2026. New Nigerian football fans wanting to follow the Unity Cup can check the the latest Bet9ja promo code before the tournament’s opening fixtures.
Role Models in Green and White
When asked about the Super Eagles players who have influenced him most, Durosinmi gave a straightforward answer. “I’m not really someone that watches football, but now seeing the Super Eagles play, the person I have watched play is Osimhen,” he said. “I also watch Onuachu when he plays for his club and national team. Also Akor Adams is doing great. I think they are a good example for me.” The three strikers he named represent different archetypes of the modern Nigerian centre-forward, and Durosinmi, with his combination of size and technique, draws comparisons with all of them.
Pisa’s relegation from Serie A at the end of the 2025/26 season adds a complicated backdrop to Durosinmi’s summer. The club paid nine million euros for him in January and are now understood to be open to offers of between eight and ten million euros as they prepare for Serie B football. Trabzonspor and Torino have both been linked with moves for him according to reports carried by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, but Durosinmi’s focus right now is entirely on making an impression in a Super Eagles shirt. A strong showing at the Unity Cup could influence the transfer conversations that follow in June significantly. Readers keen on tracking all Nigerian player transfers this summer can find clear guidance through the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG welcome bonus page as the window opens.
Chelle’s Vision Taking Shape
Durosinmi’s call-up is part of a broader reset Eric Chelle is carrying out with the Super Eagles following Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 World Cup. The Unity Cup, which also features India and Jamaica, gives Chelle an opportunity to assess several first-time invitees including Durosinmi, Femi Azeez of Millwall, and Kayode Ayobami of 3SC Ibadan. The weight of history sits on this squad differently from most. These players are not defending anything. They are building something.
📌 Did You Know?
- Rafiu Durosinmi’s full name is Rafiu Adekunle Durosinmi. He was born on January 1, 2003 in Lagos, Nigeria, making him one of a small number of active Super Eagles players born in the same city where Nigerian football’s grassroots infrastructure is most concentrated.
- Durosinmi stands 1.92 metres (six feet four inches) tall and wears the number 17 shirt at Pisa. His height and aerial ability are considered central to his game, making him a physical presence that Nigerian football has rarely had at senior level in recent years.
- Before joining the professional ranks in Europe, Durosinmi came through Box2Box FC, a Nigerian youth football setup. He made his first move to Europe at age 18 when he joined MFK Karvina in the Czech Football League in 2021.
- Durosinmi scored three goals in his debut season at Karvina in 2022/23, including one against Slavia Prague in a match that brought him wider attention in the Czech top flight. That performance directly accelerated Viktoria Plzen’s interest in signing him.
- Pisa’s nine million euro outlay to sign Durosinmi in January 2026 was a club record transfer fee. The deal included up to two million euros in performance bonuses. Within five months of the signing, the club was relegated from Serie A, placing the transfer’s value immediately in question.
- Victor Osimhen, Paul Onuachu and Akor Adams, the three strikers Durosinmi cited as role models, have each scored more than 10 goals in a single European league season. If Durosinmi establishes himself at the Super Eagles level, he would be competing directly with all three for a starting berth under Eric Chelle.
- The 2026 Unity Cup is being held at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic in London. Nigeria won the inaugural edition of the tournament and are defending champions heading into the 2026 edition, which also features Zimbabwe, India and Jamaica.
