By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigerian teenage defender Vince Osuji is set for an expanded role at Belgian giants Club Brugge ahead of the 2025/26 season, following impressive preseason performances and steady development within the club’s system.
The 18-year-old centre-back made headlines after scoring twice in the club’s first preseason match against internal side Blauw-Zwart, underlining his readiness to compete at a higher level.
Osuji joined Club Brugge in January 2025 from Swedish outfit Kalmar FF in a deal reportedly worth €3 million, potentially rising to €4 million with performance-related bonuses.
Since his arrival, the club has taken a measured approach to his development, integrating him gradually through its reserve side, Club NXT.
Over the last six months, Osuji has trained consistently at the club’s elite Basecamp facility in Westkapelle, gaining valuable experience under the watchful eyes of the first-team coaching staff.
Club Brugge now view him as a long-term asset in central defence, with reports suggesting that the potential departure of fellow defender Jorne Ordoñez in the current transfer window could open up a first-team spot that Osuji is well-positioned to fill.
While expectations remain realistic for the coming season, insiders at the club say Osuji’s work ethic and tactical intelligence have made a strong impression, and he is likely to feature more prominently as the campaign unfolds.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
