Nigeria's latest 'oyinbo wall' debut in doubt after Osho knock against Eagles

Nigeria's newest Super Eagle Gabriel Osho faces an anxious wait to see if he'll be able to make his international debut this month after suffering an injury setback with Luton Town.

The 25-year-old defender was handed his maiden call-up to the Super Eagles squad for the friendlies against Ghana and Mali in Morocco later this March, Pulse Sports Nigeria can report.

However, barely 24 hours after his name was announced, Osho's dreams of pulling on the famous green and white jersey were thrown into doubt.

The Anglo-Nigerian had to be withdrawn in the 81st minute of Luton's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday after appearing to pick up a knock.

It made for a bittersweet occasion at Selhurst Park, with the Hatters recovering from a goal down to claim a hard-earned point, but potentially at the cost of Osho's international debut.

Osho was one of just two new faces named in Nigeria’s 26-man squad, along with Tanzania-based Benjamin Tianimu, as the Super Eagles began building for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The pair had been called up to provide cover in defence with first-choice options William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi all ruled out through injury.

But Osho now faces a nervous wait to discover the extent of the problem that forced him off against Palace, and whether it could scupper his hopes of linking up with Nigeria for the first time later this month.

It would be a cruel blow for the former Reading man, who has been a revelation since joining Luton in 2021, making 16 appearances and scoring two goals in their first Premier League season.

For the Eagles and the Nigerian coaching staff, they will be hoping Osho's setback proves to be nothing more than a minor scare.

The last thing they need is another defensive headache ahead of two challenging tests against West African rivals Ghana and Mali in Marrakech.