By Enitan Abdultawab
Super Eagles invitee Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has revealed he once stepped away from football for several years to learn the trade of barbing, unsure if a career in the sport would ever materialise.
The 21-year-old midfielder shared his story in an interview with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) media team on Monday, reflecting on his journey from humble beginnings to his first senior national team call-up.
Akinsanmiro is one of five new players named in Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He is currently on loan at Italian Serie A side Pisa SC from Inter Milan, having joined the Nerazzurri from Remo Stars in 2023 at the age of 18 after emerging from Beyond Limit Academy.
Speaking on his call-up, Akinsanmiro admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion, describing the moment as the fulfilment of a long-held dream.
“It has been my dream for a very long time. I have always wanted to play for the national team. I tried from the U-17 and U-20 levels, but at some point I felt I wasn’t good enough,” he said. “I just kept pushing and hoping that one day the opportunity would come.”
He also spoke about growing up in an environment where watching football was a luxury.
“Where I grew up, you had to pay to watch football, so I didn’t really watch much. I just loved playing the game.”
Akinsanmiro credited his passion for football to his family, noting that his father and brothers all played the sport at amateur level. However, uncertainty about the future forced him to consider an alternative path.
“There was a time I felt football wasn’t something where success is guaranteed. So I had to learn a trade,” he explained. “I stopped playing football for months, even years, to learn barbing.”
The midfielder is among the early arrivals at the Super Eagles’ camp at the Renaissance Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.
Ademola Lookman, Semi Ajayi, Stanley Nwabali and Francis Uzoho are also already in camp. Paul Onuachu, Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi have all joined the team too.
Nigeria’s first training session is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Cairo International Stadium ahead of a friendly match against Egypt on Tuesday. The team will later move to Fès, Morocco, their base for the tournament.
The 2025 AFCON kicks off on December 21, with Nigeria drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda. The Super Eagles will begin their campaign against Tanzania on December 23.
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