Chibuike Nwaiwu’s debut for the Super Eagles has drawn warm praise from Nigeria Premier Football League chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye, who described the Trabzonspor defender’s first cap as a proud moment for domestic football, Footynaija.com reports.
Nwaiwu came off the bench in the second half of Nigeria’s 2-1 friendly win over Iran in Antalya on Friday, replacing Igoh Ogbu after the Slavia Prague defender picked up an injury.
The call-up itself came at short notice, after Calvin Bassey withdrew from the squad during the international break, but the 22-year-old centre-back seized the moment without hesitation.
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Speaking to NPFL media, as reported by Leadership.ng, Elegbeleye was emphatic in his assessment.
“This is a massive bragging right for the NPFL,” he said.
“It will motivate our league players to up their game to get scouted by foreign clubs and our national team handlers.”
The sentiment carries weight because Nwaiwu’s story is rooted in the Nigerian domestic game. He featured for Heartland and Enyimba before moving abroad, and was a member of the Enyimba side that won a record-extending ninth NPFL title in the 2022/23 season.
He then moved to Wolfsberger AC in Austria, where he won the Austrian Cup, before Trabzonspor paid a reported €5.5 million to sign him in January 2026.
Nwaiwu himself was candid about how much the moment meant.
“I believe in God and I believe hard work pays off,” he said after the game, as reported earlier.
“Ever since my time in the NPFL, I always told myself I would wear the national team shirt. When I received the message at my club, I was so excited that I nearly missed my flight.”
With uncertainty surrounding Ogbu’s fitness, Nwaiwu could be starting in Nigeria’s next fixture against Jordan on March 31.
For the NPFL, that would make the story even better.
