Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu has declared himself ready to fight for a regular place in the Super Eagles, admitting that competition for the right-back role is now one of the fiercest areas in the national team setup, NigeriaSoccernet.com reports.
The 24-year-old acknowledges that Ola Aina remains Nigeria’s first-choice option in the position, with Bright Osayi-Samuel firmly established as the main alternative. However, Alebiosu believes the growing depth in the role can only benefit the team, and he is relishing the challenge of trying to carve out a long-term place for himself.
Nigeria’s plans at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations were disrupted even before the tournament kicked off. Aina was ruled out through injury on the eve of the competition, while young defender Benjamin Fredrick, who had been groomed as cover, also suffered a setback.
With options limited, head coach Eric Chelle turned to Alebiosu as the primary backup to Osayi-Samuel, even leaving open the possibility that the Blackburn man could force his way into the starting XI. Osayi-Samuel featured in Nigeria’s opening two group games against Tanzania and Tunisia, both victories, before Alebiosu was handed his chance in the final group match against Uganda.
Although he endured a difficult opening spell as he adjusted to the demands of international football, Alebiosu grew into the contest and delivered an encouraging display in a 3–1 win. His momentum was halted by a deep laceration to his leg, an injury that ruled him out for two weeks and sidelined him during the decisive stages of the tournament.
While he returned in time for the third-place playoff victory over Egypt, Chelle opted not to take any risks. Now fully focused on the future, Alebiosu is looking ahead to renewed competition with Aina, Osayi-Samuel, and Fredrick once everyone is fit.
“The competition for places is high. It’s good competition for the players, and it makes everyone want to build better and higher,” Alebiosu told The Punch.
“Bright is obviously a wonderful player, and he proved himself at this tournament. We uplift each other, especially when I was fit, and that’s something we’ll keep doing to push each other to get better and better. Good competition is good for the team as well.”
Reflecting on his AFCON experience, Alebiosu admitted the injury was frustrating. “It’s a bit frustrating, I wanted to show what I could do at my first AFCON,” he said.
“When it happened, the team came together and helped me a lot, and watching the team win games really boosted my morale. I was glad I could return before the end of the tournament, but I couldn’t get more minutes.”
Nigeria won five matches en route to the semi-finals before losing on penalties to hosts Morocco, and Alebiosu has already set his sights on being part of the Super Eagles squad for the 2027 AFCON in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.