By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has urged Nigeria international Bright Osayi-Samuel to seize his opportunity and fight his way back into the first team.
The former Fenerbahçe full-back has struggled for game time over the past two months, with Tomoki Iwata preferred at right-back.
However, Iwata’s suspension for Monday’s clash against Watford opens the door for Osayi-Samuel to reassert his value to the team.
“Bright has been brought in to be an important player for us,” Davies said.
“He made a good start, then with injuries he found himself out of the team. Tomoki was moved to right-back because both right-backs were injured and he’s been exceptional.
“There’s an opportunity for Bright to come in and show what he can do because he’s an international player, he’s played at a really good level and he’s been working well.”
Osayi-Samuel is also expected to feature in Nigeria’s squad for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, adding further incentive to regain form ahead of the continental showpiece.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
