Alebiosu Proud of AFCON 2025 Debut with Nigeria

Super Eagles defender Ryan Alebiosu has expressed his delight at making his debut for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, describing the experience as a proud achievement for himself and his family.

The Blackburn Rovers right-back, who was drafted into the 28-man squad by head coach Eric Chelle after injuries to Ola Aina and Benjamin Frederick, featured in Nigeria’s final group game against Uganda. Though his time on the pitch was brief, the 24-year-old impressed with his performance and was tipped as one for the future.

Alebiosu’s campaign was cut short after he sustained a deep leg injury. Unlike teammate Cyriel Dessers, who returned to his club after picking up an injury in camp, Alebiosu chose to remain with the squad to recuperate and support his teammates.

He eventually returned home with a bronze medal as Nigeria finished third after reaching the semi-finals.

Reflecting on the tournament in an interview with RoversTV, Alebiosu said: ‘It has been a very good experience with a great bunch of lads and an honour. It was wonderful to be a part of it. It was great to make my debut, brilliant, and I think I played well, but I picked up an injury, which was frustrating because I couldn’t finish off the tournament. My debut was brilliant. It was brilliant to walk out for your nation and a great achievement for me and my family.’

He admitted to feeling nervous at first but quickly settled into the game with the support of his teammates.

‘Nigeria’s expectations were to win the competition, but we had to take something back with us and bronze was what we got. It was a wonderful experience,’ he added, expressing hope for more opportunities with the national team in the future.