AFCON: Chris Davies hails Bright Osayi-Samuel standout performance

Chris Davies, the manager of English Championship club Birmingham City FC, is delighted with Nigerian defender Bright Osayi-Samuel’s performance at the just-concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

​Osayi-Samuel played a pivotal role in the Super Eagles’ defense, helping the team secure the bronze medal.

During his pre-match press conference on Friday, Davies praised Osayi-Samuel’s contributions for Nigeria, telling reporters that he performed exceptionally well, even though the Super Eagles narrowly missed out on the AFCON title.

‘I congratulated him on his performances’

“He’s back, which is good news, and I congratulated him on his performances and Nigeria for making it to the tournament.

Although they didn’t win the competition, they made the country proud, and Bright really enjoyed being part of that, so we’re happy to have him back.”

The 28-year-old was substituted during the third-place match against Egypt after sustaining a hamstring injury in the second half.

However, the Blues manager provided a positive fitness update, confirming that the Nigerian international has been cleared by the club’s medical staff and is ready to face Stoke City.

“He is available. There was a little issue, but we’ve had him checked out and he’s trained today, so he’s okay.”

Osayi-Samuel has featured in the club’s last nine games and is eager to maintain his strong form against Stoke City on Saturday.