New Super Eagles invitee Ebenezer Akinsamiro has revealed how he briefly abandoned football to learn hair barbing during a period of doubt before eventually earning his first senior national team call-up.
The 21-year-old Pisa SC midfielder spoke to the Super Eagles media team after being named in Nigeria’s 28-man squad ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Akinsamiro is one of several new additions to the team, alongside Ryan Alebiosu, Usman Muhammed, Tochukwu Nnadi and Salim Fago Lawal.
From self-doubt to second chance
Akinsamiro admitted there was a time he questioned his future in football and stepped away from the game entirely.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to make it in football, so I stopped playing for months and even years to learn barbing,” he said. “But my dad and my brothers kept inspiring me to keep pushing.”
He also explained that limited access to live football while growing up meant he focused more on playing than watching the game.
“To be honest, I didn’t watch football a lot, because where I grew up, you have to pay before you can watch games, so we were not allowed when I was young. I love to play football, but I didn’t watch on TV a lot.”
Emotional Super Eagles breakthrough
The midfielder described his reaction to receiving a national team invitation as overwhelming, especially after missing out previously due to injury during the World Cup qualifiers.
“When the call came the second time, I saw the invitation, called someone close to me and started crying,” Akinsamiro said. “It has been my dream for so long. I kept believing that if I gave my best, I would get here.”
Role models and motivation
Akinsamiro cited former Super Eagles stars John Obi Mikel and Austin Jay-Jay Okocha as key inspirations, watching their highlights online once he committed fully to football.
“When I started considering making a career out of football, I would watch Mikel Obi and [Austin Jay-Jay] Okocha’s highlights on YouTube. I love them, honestly,” he said.
The Super Eagles will face Egypt in a friendly on Tuesday before travelling to Morocco for their AFCON 2025 opener against Tanzania.