Abdullahi Bewene Warns Aina, Osayi-Samuel In Super Eagles Right-Back Battle
Nigeria defender Abdullahi Bewene has declared his intention to fight for a regular place in the Super Eagles, setting up fresh competition for Ola Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel.
The 21-year-old defender was left out of Nigeria’s squad for the September 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, despite impressing during his first appearances for the national team.
Bewene has now returned to the squad for Tuesday’s international friendly against Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
The Banik Ostrava defender said he is determined to use the opportunity to prove himself again and earn the confidence of head coach Éric Chelle.
“I would have loved to make the squad for the AFCON qualifiers, but I am still happy to be part of this team,” Bewene told Footy-Africa.
Bewene made his Super Eagles debut in June during Nigeria’s 2-2 draw against Poland in Warsaw. He played the full 90 minutes before coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Lisbon a week later.
The Jos-born defender has also shown his versatility at club level. He can play as a right-back, right wing-back and defensive midfielder and made 38 appearances for Banik Ostrava in those positions during the 2025/26 season.
His return gives Chelle another option at right-back, where Aina and Osayi-Samuel have been competing for places.
Bewene Not Afraid Of Russia
Bewene also spoke confidently ahead of Nigeria’s meeting with Russia.
“Russia at home are very dangerous and will cause us a lot of problems, but we will be ready for them. We respect them, but we do not fear anyone,” he said.
The defender also believes Chelle is using the October international window to build a team for the future.
“I am also happy that most of the group are within a certain age range, which means the coach is building for the future, and luckily, he sees me as part of that,” he added.
Bewene recently signed a five-year contract extension with Banik Ostrava after attracting interest from several European clubs.
His latest Super Eagles opportunity could give him another chance to move closer to Chelle’s plans ahead of Nigeria’s November AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania.
Nigeria will face Russia at 5:00pm Nigerian time on Tuesday.
