Soccer
Bright Osayi-Samuel booked during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town at the St. Andrew’s Knighthead Park Stadium, Birmingham. [Photo Credit/ ImagoxManjitNarotra].
The 2025/2026 EFL Championship season kicked off a week ago with Bright Osayi-Samuel’s Birmingham playing a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town, Soccernet.ng reports.
The second tier of English Football has always had a mix of Nigerian blend with Super Eagles players and other eligible ones making waves in the league.
Soccernet.ng highlights five Super Eagles stars to keep an eye on as teams in the Championship fight for top-flight status this season.
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Soccer Chuba Akpom
The 29-year-old isn’t a new face in the EFL Championship, having played for Middlesbrough and Brighton in the past.
Akpom recently joined Ipswich Town on loan from Ajax after falling out of favour at the Dutch capital. He’s been brought in to replace Liam Delap at Portman Road and will be one to watch as Kieran McKenna’s side look to return to the English Premier League.
Soccer Semi Ajayi
The 31-year-old has been in the EFL Championship since West Bromwich Albion got demoted from the English Premier League in 2021.
He joined Hull City on a two-year deal in June and will be one to watch as he looks to solidify his place in Eric Chelle’s AFCON 2025 squad list.
Soccer Bright Osayi-Samuel
After four years with Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig, Osayi returned to England to join Birmingham City despite interest from top sides.
The full-back has featured in the two league games for the Blues this term, and being a regular for the Super Eagles, he’ll be an interesting player to keep an eye on.
Soccer Josh Maja
Despite suffering injuries in the past, Maja has been tasked with leading the line for the Harthowns this season.
The 26-year-old scored 12 goals in six months last season, and could be an option for Eric Chelle if he finds the back of the net more often.
Soccer Joe Aribo
The Super Eagles midfielder was a part of the Southampton team that suffered relegation to the EFL Championship twice.
Although the ex-Rangers man is keen on parting ways with the Saints, the club are yet to receive a suitable offer for Aribo, meaning he’s staying put for the time being.
Tom Dele-Bashiru, Christian Nwachukwu and Ehije Ukaki are other Nigerian players currently plying their trade in the EFL Championship, but they’re yet to get a call-up to the Super Eagles.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
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