By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has declared his ambition to represent Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup, describing it as the ultimate stage for any footballer.
The 24-year-old, who has quickly established himself as a promising addition to the national team setup, rose to prominence during his spell with Sheffield Wednesday in the English Championship.
After three seasons with the Owls, he moved to Hatayspor in Turkey in 2023, before securing a switch to Serie A giants Lazio, where he featured in the UEFA Europa League last season.
Currently in camp with the Super Eagles ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and South Africa, Dele-Bashiru underlined his dream of helping Nigeria reach football’s grandest stage.
“It’s always the World Cup, that’s the biggest stage for a footballer in your career, especially playing for your country,” Dele-Bashiru told reporters in Uyo.
“For now, it’s a tough call to make it through, but we have the quality in the squad to make it happen. We just need to believe it’s possible.”
Nigeria will host the Amavubi of Rwanda on Saturday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, before traveling to Bloemfontein to face South Africa in another decisive qualifier next Tuesday.
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.
