Akinsanmiro earned his first international call-up in December for AFCON 2025 in Morocco, but he did not feature in any match during the tournament. The Inter Milan loanee had, however, started Nigeria’s pre-tournament friendly against Egypt.
Despite not playing, the 21-year-old comes back to Italy with a bronze medal after Nigeria secured third place by defeating Egypt. Akinsanmiro has rejoined his teammates ahead of Pisa’s crucial Serie A fixture against Inter Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Friday.
Corrado expressed his excitement over the return of one of his key midfielders, noting that Akinsanmiro’s presence will immediately strengthen the team’s campaign.
“Now Akinsanmiro is back, having been away for the Africa Cup of Nations, and he’ll give us a huge boost in midfield. And other players who can raise the bar will also be returning,” Corrado told Inter News.
The midfielder, who left the Super Eagles camp on January 17 following the third-place victory, is now fully available for selection.
Pisa face a daunting challenge against Inter Milan, who currently sit atop the Serie A table and are strong favourites, while Pisa fight to maintain their top-flight status.