When the list of players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for the friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique respectively was made public, the name Fisayo Dele-Bashiru came out as a surprise to many.
However the 22 year old isn’t new to the Nigerian set up as he took part in the camping exercise of the Nigeria U20 team in 2019 but didn’t make the cut. His elder brother Tom Dele-Bashiru now at Watford made the team and subsequently played for the U23 team.
Two years later Fisayo was cut loose by Manchester City and he took two steps down to League 1, where he joined Sheffield Wednesday. He blossomed and helped the team secured promotion to the English Championship.
His elder brother was more on the radar of head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro, with the coach keeping a close watch on his development at Watford after suffering two major setbacks due to injury.
It was while keeping an eye on Tom, that he was made aware of Fisayo who just moved to Turkish side Hatayspor. His name was immediately added to the list of potential midfielders but no imminent plan for a call up.
All of that changed in the game against Trabzonspor, with Peseiro’s backroom team keen on watching how Paul Onuachu who recently moved to the team will acquit himself, it was another player who caught the eyes.
Aside scoring in the game, the newly invited Super Eagles midfielder was by far the best player on the pitch with an assist and his late match winning goal the crown to his performance.
That game on the 25th of September was the turning point in the head of Peseiro, who two weeks later handed him his first call up and will hopefully hand him his debut in one of the two test games, meant to prepare the team for the start of the World Cup qualifiers and also next year Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
