Ed DoveJan 13, 2026, 01:27 AM ET
CloseEd Dove is a writer and scout who has a deep and enduring passion for African sport, politics and literature. Instagram: @EddyDove22, Facebook: @EddyDoveAfrica
RABAT, Morocco — Bright Osayi-Samuel may not be one of the superstars in this Nigeria team, but his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations have been revelatory for the Super Eagles, with the former winger’s tactical reinvention unlocking Eric Chelle’s diamond formation.
Birmingham City’s Osayi-Samuel started his fourth game of the tournament on Saturday as the Super Eagles dispatched Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech to reach the final four, where a semifinal against hosts Morocco on Wednesday awaits.
The 28-year-old, a late bloomer at international level after only making his Nigeria debut in 2022, has stepped into a critical role for Chelle’s side, despite not being the Eagles’ first choice at rightback until Ola Aina‘s hamstring injury in early September put paid to his hopes of representing the 2024 finalists at another Nations Cup.
Instead, it was Osayi-Samuel, who began his career as a winger before being converted to a more defensive role at Fenerbahce under Vitor Pereira in 2022, who started for Nigeria during the World Cup playoffs, and has held onto his position at the AFCON despite the emergence of Blackburn Rovers’ Ryan Alebiosu.
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“When I heard the news about Ola being out, I thought that it’s not great to hear that, but in the back of mind I thought that it was an opportunity that I had to take,” Osayi-Samuel told ESPN.
“My dad and my mum were always speaking to me, and telling me that this wasn’t an opportunity that comes around all the time, and that I had to take it.
“So far, it’s been good, but [the semifinal] isn’t just where we want to get to, we have Morocco next, then hopefully the final, so I’ll review my performance after that.”
After coming through the ranks at Blackpool, Osayi-Samuel experienced consecutive relegations early in his career before rebounding in the Championship with Queens Park Rangers, returning to London, where he was raised from the age of 10.
A lively winger, with a strong physical presence coupled with tenacity and the ability to beat a man, Osayi-Samuel’s performances in the Championship were eye-catching, but sometimes undermined by a lack of consistent end product.
Bright Osayi-Samuel, formerly a winger, has been rock solid in defence for Nigeria and taken his surprise starting place with both hands. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images
He had a hand in 21 goals across 103 appearances for the Hoops, but never truly proved himself as an elite Championship attacking force — as the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze were able to do — and was released to Fenerbahce before the end of his contract at Loftus Road, after agreeing a pre-contract agreement with the Istanbul giants in 2021.
A change of scene brought a change of position, with Fener coach Pereira, who was last with Wolves before being dismissed in November, converting Osayi-Samuel into a wingback role in order to implement his 3-4-3 formation and given the lack of alternative options in the squad.
The Portuguese head coach believed that the Nigerian’s work rate, pace, and fitness would give him the physical attributes to thrive in this role, while also assuring the wideman that he’d teach him the defensive fundamentals required.
In 2022-23, he established himself as a key player for the Istanbul heavyweights as they won the Turkish Cup, and was influential the season after as Fener ended the season three points behind eventual champions Galatasaray.
The move changed the trajectory of Osayi-Samuel’s international career as well, with his new found versatility and defensive sensitivities making him relevant and valuable for Nigeria where, as a winger, given the Super Eagles’ overflowing offensive options, he was unlikely to find the same opportunities.
He made his debut in 2022, started two games at the last Nations Cup in the Ivory Coast — although it was Aina who played the final at right wingback — and has stepped into an increasingly prominent role since the Nottingham Forest man was laid out with a hamstring complaint.
Chelle’s 4-4-2 midfield diamond formation has been key for Nigeria this tournament, and while much attention has focused on the dynamic front three of Akor Adams, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Osayi-Samuel’s role from rightback must not be overlooked.
Able to carry the ball forward and beat his man, or at least adopt advanced roles in order to unsettle opposition fullbacks and create more space for the forward line, his energy and work rate have been valuable assets for Chelle, not to mention his intelligence, discipline and intensity.
Osimhen, Lookman, and Adams may be scoring the goals, but Osayi-Samuel’s efforts in defence have made many of them possible, as his link-up play has been outstanding at AFCON. Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP via Getty Images
His instincts as a former winger have helped him create one goalscoring opportunity per match so far this tournament, while no other player on the pitch completed more successful dribbles than the 28-year-old against Algeria.
He was also the most fouled player on the pitch, being impeded illegally five times as Manchester City‘s Rayan Aït-Nouri in particular struggled to contain his runs from deep.
“I’ve always been a confident player,” he tells ESPN. “I always like to get on the ball, link up with players, and [against Algeria] I had a bit more space, so it felt good for me.
“A few people sleep on me, so games like this one, where you show people how good you can be are good, but we still have another two games to go, and we take each one as it comes.
“I spoke to my dad the morning of the game, and he wanted me to give a crazy performance for my family, and for Nigerians, so I made sure I played a game where I did well.”
Defensively, the work Pereira did in Fenerbahce is also benefitting Nigeria, with Osayi-Samuel averaging 2.3 completed tackles per match, winning 70 percent of his duels and notably ensuring Algeria’s Farès Chaïbi remained silenced in Saturday’s showdown.
With the fullback playing his part, Nigeria’s defence — once identified as the team’s weak point before the tournament — has now kept consecutive clean sheets, with the criticism about the unit in the local media notably dying down as their AFCON campaign gathers steam.
“As Nigerians, there’s always criticism in some sort of way, but, we’re professionals,” he reminded ESPN. “We see [criticism of the defence] all the time, but we manage it.
“The only way to prove them wrong is by showing it on the pitch and [against Algeria] was fantastic, they’re a team who score a lot of goals, but they didn’t have a shot on target.
“It was excellent, and I’m proud of the team. We kept a clean sheet, we scored twice against a team who everyone was saying scored a lot of goals and have only conceded twice, but [our game] was perfect.”
Expect Adams, Osimhen and Lookman to continue to steal the plaudits as Nigeria face Morocco with one eye on the final, but it’s worth asking whether their lethal performances so far without the lung-busting Osayi-Samuel providing width and running down the right flank.