Super Eagles newcomer, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has described his invitation to the Nigerian national team as one of the greatest achievements of his career.
Speaking in a recent interview, the 21-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Italian Serie B side Pisa, opened up on the emotions surrounding his call-up.
Akinsanmiro explained that the invitation to the national team came as a surprise, especially after missing out on a previous opportunity due to injury.
“I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” he said. “I was first called up during the World Cup qualifiers, but unfortunately I couldn’t come because I was injured. When they called me up for the AFCON, I called someone close to me and I cried.”
The midfielder explained that the emotional reaction was a result of how long he had waited for the opportunity to represent Nigeria.
He revealed that playing for the national team had been a personal dream since his youth team days.
“It has been my dream for so long,” Akinsanmiro stated. “I tried from the U17 and U20 levels, but I wasn’t called up. There were times I thought I wasn’t good enough, but I kept pushing and giving my best, believing that one day I would get the chance.”
Reflecting on his upbringing, Akinsanmiro explained that watching football regularly was not something he had access to as a child.
He stated that although his love for playing football was strong, watching matches was a luxury he could not afford at the time.
“To be honest, I didn’t really watch football when I was young,” he explained. “Where I grew up, you had to pay before you could watch games, and as a young child I wasn’t allowed. We didn’t really have the chance to watch matches.”
He added that as he grew older and became more intentional about pursuing a football career, he began to seek inspiration through other means.
“When I started getting older and made it clear that I wanted to play football, I began watching Mikel Obi and Jay-Jay Okocha on YouTube,” he said. “I loved the way they played and how confident they were on the ball.”
Akinsanmiro also highlighted the role his family played in shaping his career, stating that his father and brothers were his biggest inspirations.
“The people that inspired me are my dad and my brothers,” he revealed. “They all played football when they were young, and I decided to follow in their footsteps.”
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However, he explained that there was a point in his life when he doubted whether football would provide a secure future. During that period, he temporarily stepped away from the game to learn a trade.
“There was a time I felt football wasn’t 100 percent guaranteed for me,” he stated. “I quit football for some time and learned barbing. But I went back to football because of the inspiration and encouragement from my dad and my brother.”
Akinsanmiro is currently at Pisa, where he is on loan from Inter Milan.
He has already featured in 12 matches and, according to his performances, has become an important part of Pisa’s midfield as the club battles for survival this season.
