Dapo Afolayan vs Super Eagles wingers: Does Blackburn star deserve Nigeria call-up?

Dapo Afolayan has never hidden his desire to play for Nigeria’s Super Eagles and he may finally get his chance under head coach Eric Chelle.

The Blackburn Rovers forward has started all eight of the club’s Championship matches this season, producing three goals and two assists in 570 minutes. Add his two Carabao Cup appearances and he has four goals and two assists in 10 games across all competitions.

Just before the September – October international break, Afolayan’s form shot through the ceiling. The former FC St. Pauli forward scored twice against Millwall on September 12, before producing a goal and an assist in Blackburn’s 2-2 draw at Portsmouth seven days later. Those performances earned him a nomination for the Championship Player of the Month.

Despite his impressive displays, Chelle did not extend any invitation to Afolayan either for the AFCON qualifiers or the Russia friendly. The 29-year-old attacker is still hoping for his first Nigeria call-up.

Dapo Afolayan’s Super Eagles dream

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Dapo Afolayan previously represented England C but remains eligible for the Super Eagles.

He told Blackburn’s YouTube channel this week that playing for Nigeria has been an ambition since childhood and revealed that he came close to a call-up during his Bundesliga spell with St Pauli.

“I’d love to play for Nigeria. It’s alaways been something I wanted to do since I was a kid. I’ve been really close and timing has been unfortunate in a few cases,” Afolayan said, explaining that an injury or loss of form at the wrong moment had previously disrupted his chances.

His Super Eagles dream is also boosted by his Bundesliga experience. He played 32 league matches for St Pauli during the 2024/25 season, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

Chelle, though, is spoilt for choices in Super Eagles attack with youngsters Abdullahi Umar, Abubakar Umar, Peter Edokpolor, Moses Usor adding depth in recent weeks to a squad that already boast Ademola Lookman, Femi Azeez, Samuel Chukwueze, and Moses Simon.

How does Afolayan compare with other Super Eagles wingers?

Ademola Lookman sits at the top of the pecking order because of his international pedigree, Champions League experience and sustained output at elite European level.

His start to 2026/27, however, has been modest by his standards, with one goal and no assists in 460 La Liga minutes for Atletico Madrid.

Samuel Chukwueze has also produced two assists without scoring in 386 Serie A minutes for AC Milan. He has started four of Milan’s five league games, giving him a stronger claim through his level of competition and international experience, even if Afolayan’s current end product is superior.

Moses Usor is perhaps the most immediate threat to Afolayan’s argument. The LASK winger has two goals and three assists in 418 minutes across his current campaign.

More importantly, Usor made his Super Eagles debut against Madagascar and produced a memorable winner. His immediate impact has undoubtedly catapulted him high up into Chelle’s plans for the AFCON qualifiers.

With 102 caps for Nigeria, Moses Simon is a Super Eagles veteran of no mean status.

The veteran Paris FC winger has played only 131 Ligue 1 minutes this season without a goal or assist, although his experience and 73 minutes across Nigeria’s two September AFCON qualifiers give him an advantage that Afolayan cannot yet match.

There are also two fresh options for Chelle in Femi Azeez and Zadok Yohanna, after both joined Brighton in the Premier League this summer. Chelle rates the pair highly and has invited them to the Super Eagles setup with Azeez already earning two caps.

There is no doubt that Dapo Afolayan deserves a Super Eagles call-up. However, with the exciting wing options available to Chelle, it could take the Blackburn Rovers man a consistent run of excellent form to fully seize the Nigeria coach’s attention.