Chibuike Nwaiwu has received his first call-up to the Super Eagles, stepping in for Calvin Bassey, who pulled out of Nigeria’s squad through injury ahead of their friendly tournament in Turkey, Footynaija.com reports.
The 22-year-old centre-back joined Trabzonspor from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC in January and almost missed the moment. He suffered a thigh injury in early March, bleeding and swelling in his left leg, that threatened to rule him out before he had even been considered.
He recovered in time, and when Bassey withdrew, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle turned to him.
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Trabzonspor responded rather warmly, posting a message on their official channels wishing Nwaiwu success as he prepares to pull on the green-and-white for the first time.
It was a small gesture, but the kind clubs rarely make unless a player has earned genuine goodwill in the dressing room.
The Port Harcourt-born defender will link up with the squad in Turkey, where Nigeria are set to face Iran and Jordan in a four-nation invitational tournament.
He scored twice in a 3-1 win over Fatih Karagümrük in February, netting in the 47th and 50th minutes, with Eric Chelle watching from the stands. Across the season, he has recorded three goals in 2,287 minutes of football.
Standing at 1.93 metres, Nwaiwu can play centre-back or defensive midfielder, giving Chelle options at the back. Before Turkey, his journey ran through Heartland, then Enyimba, where he was part of the squad that won the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League title.
How he performs against Iran and Jordan could decide whether this call-up is a one-off or the beginning of a longer international story.
