Crawley Town’s new signing, Benjamin Tanimu, has been called up to the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification matches against Benin and Rwanda.
Tanimu replaces Fenerbahçe fullback Bright Osayi-Samuel, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury that has also kept him out of Fenerbahçe’s recent league games against Caykur Rizespor and Alanyaspor.
Osayi-Samuel was expected to compete with Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina for the right-back position in the Super Eagles squad.
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However, with his injury, interim coach Austin Eguavoen is now left with Aina as the sole natural right-back option. Tanimu, who primarily plays as a center-back, has demonstrated versatility and can cover the right-back role if needed.
The 22-year-old Tanimu has experienced a significant rise in his career this year, moving from Bendel Insurance to Tanzanian club Singida Black Stars in February before securing a transfer to League One side Crawley Town just before the closure of the transfer window. He signed a two-year deal with the English club.
Tanimu first earned a call-up to the Super Eagles in March for international friendlies and subsequently started in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Benin and South Africa in June. His ability to play as a right-back in those matches has likely influenced his selection as Osayi-Samuel’s replacement for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.
