Super Eagles midfielder Akinsanmiro debuts, cites inspirations, eyes Monza
Super Eagles midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro earned his first senior cap for Nigeria in a December 2025 preparatory friendly against Egypt in Morocco, starting despite a 2-1 loss and impressing enough to secure a place in the AFCON squad. The former Remo Stars star told Sporty TV the call-up was a dream dating back to his U15 days, crediting his family's joy and citing midfield legends John Obi Mikel, Austin 'Jay-Jay' Okocha and current Super Eagles player Wilfred Ndidi as his inspirations, especially praising Ndidi's mentality, aggression, discipline and humility after sharing the AFCON dressing room.
Having completed a loan move to Italian Serie A side Monza during the summer 2026 transfer window, Akinsanmiro aims to improve himself, help the club compete for silverware and adapt to Italy's culture, food, discipline and humble people. He already registered an assist on his Monza debut, a 3-2 defeat to Udinese at the Stadio Brianteo, and hopes strong performances will earn him another international call-up when Nigeria faces Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Will Akinsanmiro's Monza experience translate into more consistent Super Eagles call-ups and bolster Nigeria's midfield depth for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers?