England-born defender Gabriel Osho has confirmed that his parents were born in Lagos, Nigeria. The footballer, who has pledged his international future to Nigeria over England, arrived in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Monday ahead of a potential cap-tying match for the three-time African champions.

Osho, who was born and raised in Reading, England, is eligible to represent Nigeria through his Lagos-born father and mother. Despite holding dual nationality, he has opted to prioritize playing for the Super Eagles over the England national team.

Osho received his first call-up to the Super Eagles in March 2024 after impressing with Luton Town in the Premier League.

Speaking to the Super Eagles media team ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic, Osho said, “My name is Gabriel Osho, defender for Auxerre and the Super Eagles. Both my parents were born in Lagos, and I’m happy to be here.”

This weekend, countries across Africa will compete for spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification race. The matches, scheduled from Thursday to Tuesday, mark the final round of qualifiers.

AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Fixtures
Here is a list of fixtures for Matchdays 5 and 6 (times in GMT):

Matchday 5
Nov 13, Wednesday

• Group E: Liberia vs Togo (1600)
• Group G: Chad vs Sierra Leone (1900)
• Group J: Namibia vs Cameroon (1300)

Nov 14, Thursday

• Group A: Madagascar vs Tunisia (1600)
• Group B: Lesotho vs Central African Republic (1300)
• Group D: Rwanda vs Libya (1600), Benin vs Nigeria (1900)
• Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria (1300)
• Group F: Niger vs Sudan (1600)
• Group K: South Sudan vs Congo Brazzaville (1300)
• Group L: Burundi vs Malawi (1500), Burkina Faso vs Senegal (1900)

Nov 15, Friday

• Group A: Gambia vs Comoros (1900)
• Group B: Gabon vs Morocco (1900)
• Group C: Botswana vs Mauritania (1300), Cape Verde vs Egypt (1600)
• Group F: Angola vs Ghana (1900)
• Group G: Zambia vs Ivory Coast (1600)
• Group I: Mozambique vs Mali, Eswatini vs Guinea-Bissau (both 1600)
• Group J: Zimbabwe vs Kenya (1600)
• Group K: Uganda vs South Africa (1300)

Nov 16, Saturday

• Group H: Ethiopia vs Tanzania (1600), Guinea vs Democratic Republic of Congo (1900)

Matchday 6
Nov 17, Sunday

• Group E: Algeria vs Liberia, Togo vs Equatorial Guinea (both 1600)

Nov 18, Monday

• Group A: Comoros vs Madagascar, Tunisia vs Gambia (both 1900)
• Group B: Central African Republic vs Gabon, Morocco vs Lesotho (both 1900)
• Group D: Nigeria vs Rwanda, Libya vs Benin (both 1600)
• Group F: Sudan vs Angola, Ghana vs Niger (both 1600)
• Group L: Malawi vs Burkina Faso (1300)

Nov 19, Tuesday

• Group C: Egypt vs Botswana (1500), Mauritania vs Cape Verde (1600)
• Group G: Sierra Leone vs Zambia, Ivory Coast vs Chad (both 1600)
• Group H: Democratic Republic of Congo vs Ethiopia, Tanzania vs Guinea (both 1600)
• Group I: Guinea-Bissau vs Mozambique, Mali vs Eswatini (both 1600)
• Group J: Kenya vs Namibia, Cameroon vs Zimbabwe (both 1300)
• Group K: Congo Brazzaville vs Uganda (1300), South Africa vs South Sudan (1600)
• Group L: Senegal vs Burundi (1900)

Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has cautioned manager Enzo Maresca that midfielder Enzo Fernandez may not be well-suited to the Premier League. Fernandez, who became the most expensive signing in British football history when he moved from Benfica to Chelsea for £105 million in January 2023, has struggled to meet expectations despite showing flashes of his potential. The 23-year-old Argentina World Cup winner currently finds himself behind Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in Maresca’s midfield preferences at Chelsea. When asked about Fernandez’s suitability for the….Read Full Article