Newly invited Super Eagles midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro revealed that he was moved to tears after receiving his first senior national team call-up, describing the moment as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, Bold Sports reports.
The 21-year-old who plays for Pisa on loan from Inter Milan, made Eric Chelle’s final 28-man squad for the upcoming 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco and has since reported to camp ahead of the team’s friendly against Egypt.
This season, the highly-rated youngster has played 12 Serie A games, providing one assist. Despite Pisa sitting 19th on the table, Akinsanmiro’s displays have stood out as one of the few bright spots for the side.
“I was not expecting it to be honest. I was called up for the World Cup qualifiers but I got injured. When I saw it, I called someone close to me and I started to cry because it has been my dream for so long,” Akinsanmiro revealed.
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“I’ve been trying to play for the National team for so long. Since the U-17, U-20. I thought I wasn’t good enough but I felt if I continued pushing, giving my possible best, one day I would be called up to the national team.”
Akinsanmiro also spoke about the challenges he faced growing up, revealing that he was unable to watch football during his early years. The encouragement of his family played a key role in pushing him towards a professional career, even after he stepped away from the game to learn other trades.
“To be honest I didn’t really watch football because where I grew up you’ll have to pay before watching games. So we were not allowed when I was young, we couldn’t have the chance to watch games,” he said.
“When I started getting serious about playing football, I watched Mikel Obi on YouTube, I like the way he plays. Also Okocha. I only watched their highlights, but I love them.”
“The people around me inspired me. My dad, my brothers, they all played football when they were young. I quit football for some years, I learnt barbing. But my dad and brothers inspired me to become a footballer,” Akinsanmiro added.
The youngster will now be hoping to make his senior national team debut on the big stage when Nigeria open their AFCON campaign against Tanzania on December 23, before taking on Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda on December 30.
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