By Wale Mustapha
Sky Bet Championship side Cardiff City are closing in on the signing of Nigerian defender Gabriel Osho on a permanent deal.
The Super Eagles centre-back joined French club AJ Auxerre on a free transfer last summer following his departure from Luton Town, but is now poised to make a return to English football, according to reports from L’Équipe.
The 27-year-old is expected to become Cardiff City’s first outfield signing of the summer, as the Bluebirds aim to inject experience into their youthful squad.
With over 150 senior appearances across England and France, Osho’s versatility and leadership qualities make him an ideal addition for manager Erol Bulut.
The defender, who has been capped twice by Nigeria, will provide much-needed depth to Cardiff’s backline as they look to push higher up the Championship table this season.
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.
