Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu has spoken about the impact of an injury that affected his debut at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Asked about how the injury affected him mentally, knowing it was his first AFCON, Alebiosu said, "Obviously it's a bit frustrating, so know my first AFCON I wanted to show more, show what I could do."

He added, "Then when this happened it obviously played a little bit of part to it but the team obviously came together, helped me a lot."

Alebiosu also highlighted how watching his team perform positively helped him regain confidence, saying, "Watching the team supporting the team winning games, it boosted my morale, helped everything get better. Now I'm back so it's just obviously grateful."

When asked about his experience off the field, Alebiosu spoke about enjoying the atmosphere and culture, stating, "Yeah, it's wonderful. You know, obviously back to African roots. It's brilliant. It's amazing bringing back the culture and stuff. It's wonderful. Wonderful experience."

After losing to Morocco on a penalty shootout in the semi-final stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Egypt in the third-place playoffs on Saturday.

Alebiosu’s comments come as the team prepares for the upcoming match, with the defender returning to full training after his injury during the tournament.

Wale Adejumo

Copyright ANS