Afeez Aremu: Why the Super Eagles Should Take Another Look

Nigeria’s search for a midfield capable of matching the physical and tactical demands of African football could lead back to a player who has already worn the national colours.

Afeez Aremu deserves another Super Eagles opportunity.

The 26-year-old Aberdeen midfielder may not be the most fashionable name in Nigerian football, but his career trajectory, playing profile and current club form make a compelling case for another invitation to the national team.

Aremu is currently a regular starter for Aberdeen, having started all seven of the club’s Scottish Premiership matches this season. He has also featured five times in the League Cup.

More importantly, he has built a career around qualities that can become decisive in the often uncompromising environment of African football: physical strength, defensive discipline, ball-winning ability and the willingness to compete.

Built Through Different Football Environments

Aremu’s career has taken him from Nigerian football to Norway, Germany and Scotland.

He began with Remo Stars and Sharks before playing for Sunshine Stars, Rivers United and Akwa United. In 2018, he moved to Norway with IK Start, where he quickly established himself before earning a move to Germany.

Three seasons at FC St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga were followed by a spell with Kaiserslautern. In January 2026, Aberdeen brought him to Scotland on a contract running until 2028.

It is a career built through adaptation.

Aremu has experienced the physical demands of Nigerian football, the intensity of Scandinavian football, the tactical discipline of Germany and the robust nature of the Scottish game.

That breadth of experience matters when considering players for international football.

The Midfielder for the Difficult Games

The Super Eagles will not always play on perfect pitches or in conditions that favour technically dominant football.

African football can demand something different.

There will be difficult away grounds, uneven surfaces, physical opponents, aerial battles, second balls and matches in which midfield becomes a contest of strength, concentration and endurance.

That is where Aremu’s profile becomes particularly interesting.

He is a defensive midfielder whose game is built around competing for possession, protecting the defence and disrupting opposition attacks.

His physicality was one of the reasons Aberdeen pursued him. The club’s sporting director described him as strong, robust and tactically aware, while Aremu himself has openly described his game as aggressive.

For Nigeria, that could provide another dimension.

He Is No Longer a Prospect

Aremu was born in October 1999. At 26, he sits comfortably between youth and experience.

He is young enough to remain part of Nigeria’s medium-term plans, but experienced enough to have spent years competing professionally outside the country.

This is not a player whose entire argument rests on potential.

He has accumulated significant senior football in Europe and is now playing regularly in Scotland.

That distinction is important.

The Super Eagles do not necessarily need to commit to him as a first-choice midfielder. They can simply give him the opportunity to compete for the position.

He Has Already Been in the Super Eagles Picture

Aremu is also not an unknown quantity to Nigerian football.

He came through the country’s youth setup and has previously represented the senior national team.

The question, therefore, is whether the player returning to the conversation today is a more mature and experienced footballer than the one previously considered.

His career suggests that he is.

An Invitation, Not a Guarantee

The argument for Aremu should not be that he automatically deserves a starting shirt ahead of Nigeria’s established midfielders.

It is simpler than that.

Invite him. Test him. Judge him.

Bring him into camp and assess how his physicality, defensive awareness, ball-winning ability and tactical discipline translate to the Super Eagles environment.

Nigeria has technically gifted midfielders. What Aremu potentially offers is a different tool — a midfielder comfortable with the dirty work, prepared for physical contests and experienced enough to operate in demanding football environments.

African football often requires players who can function when the conditions are far from ideal.

Aremu’s journey suggests he knows how to compete in precisely those circumstances.

He is rugged. He is experienced. He is still in his prime. And he is currently playing regular football in Europe.

For a Super Eagles side preparing for the realities of African football, that combination should be enough to earn Afeez Aremu another look.