England-born defender Gabriel Osho says he is ready to give everything playing for Nigeria as he prepares to make his debut for the Super Eagles.
The Super Eagles are set to play Benin Republic and Rwanda in the final phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the Auxerre defender among the 23 players invited for both games.
The 26-year-old was among the early arrivals in camp, underscoring his eagerness to make his international debut for Nigeria.
Osho was initially named in the Eagles squad earlier in the year by former Nigeria coach Finidi George, but he was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Now in line for his first appearance for Nigeria, the Reading-born defender faces competition from mainstays Calvin Bassey and William Troost-Ekong, as well as fellow new invitee Victor Collins.
He said he was ready to give everything for the Nigerian shirt, admitting to the glut of talents in the country.
“I have been invited before, but I couldn’t come because of injury and one or two other things, but when this time came, everything kind of aligned, and I’m so grateful to God that the time has finally come and I could join up with the team”, he said.
“I will work as hard as I can, and I think that is what the fans are going to expect from every single player here. Everyone has done enough to be here, but it’s just going to be the work ethic, and I want to work hard and do everything I can for this shirt.
“Look at the front line, and you see the name, the players here, and those that couldn’t be selected in the squad this time. This country is full of talented players, so it is very competitive to get called up, and it is a great honour for me because I know there are so many other great players from the country that are not here”.
Nigeria take on Benin Republic in their first game on Thursday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan before facing Rwanda in the final game four days later at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The Super Eagles currently top Group D with 10 points, and a point in the remaining two fixtures will see them secure one of the tickets to the AFCON in Morocco next year.
