National Teams
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro Withdraws From Nigeria Squad Ahead Of Poland, Portugal Friendlies
Nigeria have suffered another setback ahead of their upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal, with Inter Milan-owned midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro becoming the latest player to withdraw from the squad.
Akinsanmiro joins a growing list of absentees, further reducing the options available to head coach Eric Chelle as Nigeria prepares for the two high-profile fixtures.
The 21-year-old was not included in the original 25-man squad but was later drafted in following the withdrawals of Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf due to visa-related issues.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation, Akinsanmiro has pulled out because of illness.
However, the former Beyond Limits midfielder is also facing uncertainty over his club future ahead of the summer transfer window.
Akinsanmiro spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Serie A side Pisa, with the deal including both a purchase option and a buy-back clause. While Pisa are expected to activate the option to sign him permanently, Inter Milan are reportedly considering triggering a €7.5 million buy-back clause.
The Italian champions are believed to rate the Nigerian highly and could either reintegrate him into their plans or sanction a profitable transfer elsewhere.
His withdrawal means he will miss the opportunity to add to his lone senior international appearance for Nigeria, which came against Egypt in a pre-Africa Cup of Nations friendly last December.
With several key players already unavailable, Chelle will now have to rely on other squad members as the Super Eagles continue preparations for the friendlies against Poland and Portugal.
