Exclusive: Samson Tijani recalls emotional moment behind Super Eagles call-up

13.11.26 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

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Samson Tijani has opened up to Foot Africa about the emotions behind his Super Eagles call-up, revealing the people he immediately contacted after receiving the news.

The 24-year-old midfielder, born in Enugu, currently plays for Slovakian side FK Železiarne Podbrezová on loan from Czech club Dukla Prague.

Tijani first attracted attention as captain of Nigeria's Golden Eaglets at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil. His performances earned him a move to Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg in 2020, before he continued his career with several European clubs.

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Speaking exclusively to Foot Africa, Tijani recalled sharing the news of his national-team invitation with his closest relatives and friends.

“The first time I got the call-up to the national team, I was really happy. I called my mom, I called my dad, friends, family, you know. And it was really great,” he said.

Tijani reflects on Nigeria's AFCON qualification campaign

The midfielder was part of the Super Eagles squad that defeated Tanzania 3-1 in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

He described the victory as important but stressed that Nigeria must maintain their focus ahead of the return fixture.

“It was very, very great because the most important thing is to win the game and then we won the game,” he said.

“Now we're preparing for the second game and it's also a crucial game for us to win. So that's going to give us a push to keep fighting for the qualification.”

Tijani sends message to Super Eagles supporters

The midfielder also used his exclusive conversation with Foot Africa to send a message to Nigerian supporters, urging them to continue backing the team.

“First of all, don't forget the name. My name is Samson Tijani. Keep supporting, keep supporting the Super Eagles and just keep focused and great stuff is coming soon.”

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Mmenyeneabasi Akpan |

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