Alebiosu: My First AFCON Was a Wonderful Experience

Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu has described his debut Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a memorable experience, despite being sidelined early due to injury.

Alebiosu was drafted into Nigeria’s 28-man squad by head coach Eric Alebiosu following injuries to Ola Aina and Frederick Benjamin, both of whom were options at right-back.

However, he was unable to displace Bright Osayi-Samuel in the starting lineup and only featured in Nigeria’s final group game against Uganda.

The 24-year-old suffered a deep cut to his right leg during that match, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament. Nevertheless, he stayed with the Super Eagles throughout their campaign in Morocco, recovering alongside his teammates.

Reflecting on the experience, Alebiosu praised the unity within the squad and highlighted the contrast between European and African football.

‘Obviously not a great tournament for me because I was out. But it is a great experience to look forward to. It was my first AFCON with my brothers. It was a great and wonderful experience. It is a lot deeper, it is a lot physical than European football,’ he said.

With Nigeria’s right-back options now fully fit, Alebiosu will have to compete with Aina and Osayi-Samuel for a place in the team going forward.