Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has showered praise on Samuel Chukwueze, highlighting the winger’s influence on Nigeria’s attacking play following their opening victory at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria began their AFCON campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Tanzania. Although Chukwueze neither scored nor provided an assist in the match, his presence was felt throughout as he stretched the opposition defence and helped drive the Super Eagles forward.
Chukwueze came into the tournament in impressive form at club level, registering two goals and four assists before AFCON. Osayi-Samuel believes that strong momentum has translated seamlessly into his performances with the national team.
The Birmingham City defender also pointed to the growing chemistry between himself and Chukwueze, particularly on Nigeria’s right-hand side.
“I enjoy playing with him because we operate on the same flank,” Osayi-Samuel said. “All I need to do is give him the ball and make runs into space. He’s shown his quality in the Premier League, and you could see flashes of that today. As we continue to play together, people will see even more from him.”
Osayi-Samuel stressed that collective understanding and improved finishing will be key for Nigeria as the tournament progresses, noting that the team created several scoring opportunities against Tanzania but failed to fully capitalise.
“We had chances and didn’t take them,” he admitted. “But the more we play together, understand each other’s strengths, and focus on supplying our striker, the better we will be going forward.”
Currently on loan at Fulham from AC Milan, Chukwueze has been one of Nigeria’s most dangerous attacking options in recent months. Ahead of AFCON 2025, he was directly involved in six Premier League goals, scoring twice and providing four assists.
Against Tanzania, the winger delivered a lively 59-minute performance, completing six successful dribbles, engaging in 13 duels, and recording four touches inside the opposition penalty area as he consistently troubled the Tanzanian backline.
The Super Eagles will now shift focus to their next Group C fixture against Tunisia on December 27, as they aim to build on a promising start to the competition.
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