How Femi Azeez’s Brighton move could change his Super Eagles role

Nigeria international Femi Azeez has spent most of his career climbing towards a stage he can now finally call home, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 25-year-old has gone from Watford’s academy to Northwood and other non-league clubs, then Reading and Millwall. On September 1, Brighton & Hove Albion completed his move from Millwall on a four-year contract after the clubs used a deal sheet to finish the transfer beyond the original 11pm deadline.

The move matters beyond club football. Azeez’s first two appearances for Nigeria came only months ago, yet he already has three goal contributions. He scored twice against Zimbabwe at The Valley on May 26, then assisted in the 3-0 win over Jamaica four days later. Eric Chelle has therefore seen the winger make an immediate impact at international level.

Now comes the harder part. Brighton is a different level from the Championship. Azeez must earn minutes against Premier League defenders while competing with a squad containing players such as Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and compatriot Zadok Yohanna. The club also has European football after reaching the UEFA Conference League play-off stage.

That could make him more valuable to Chelle. Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualification campaign begins in the September international window, with Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau in Group L. Since Tanzania are co-hosts and already qualified, only the highest-ranked team apart from Tanzania will advance from the group.

Premier League minutes could change Azeez’s status

The first question is, will Azeez actually play at Brighton? Brighton signed him after a season in which he produced 11 goals and seven assists in the Championship, while the club itself confirmed 15 goals and 13 assists across his 77 Millwall appearances. He was selected in both the PFA and EFL Championship Teams of the Season.

Regular Premier League football would give Chelle something Azeez could not offer from the Championship and that is weekly evidence against top-flight opponents.

Azeez’s value is not limited to scoring. He naturally operates on the right, can cut inside onto his left foot and has also played as an attacking midfielder. That flexibility could give Chelle another option behind or around Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze.

His Super Eagles debut changed the conversation

Azeez did not need a long introduction to international football. Against Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup in London, Chelle started him in an experimental Nigeria side and was rewarded after just five minutes. Azeez finished a team move with a powerful left-footed strike to put the Super Eagles ahead. He later scored again as Nigeria won 2-0.

Four days later against Jamaica in the final, he supplied an assist as Nigeria won 3-0 and lifted the Unity Cup. Three direct goal contributions in his first two senior games made it difficult for Chelle to treat him as simply another squad player.

The Brighton move has further raises his profile. If Azeez turns those flashes into regular Premier League performances, his place in Nigeria’s matchday squads should become much harder to question.

Brighton can improve more than his numbers

Azeez’s development at Brighton could also change how he plays. Premier League football will demand quicker decisions, stronger defensive work and better movement without the ball. Brighton’s squad gives him daily competition against established international players, while Fabian Hürzeler’s side has league and European fixtures to manage.

That matters to Nigeria because Chelle needs attackers who can contribute in different match situations. Azeez could start wide, move inside when Nigeria have possession or provide energy from the bench when an opponent is tired.

His ability to operate in more than one attacking role already makes him useful. Premier League experience could make that versatility more reliable.

AFCON 2027 gives him a clear target

The calendar works in Azeez’s favour. AFCON qualifying matchdays run from September 2026 through March 2027, with the tournament itself scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027. That gives him several months to build a Premier League body of work before Chelle settles his AFCON squad.

The first challenge comes quickly. Nigeria’s September qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau arrive just days after the international window opens. Azeez will not have much time to adjust to his new surroundings before returning to the national team.

If he earns regular starts at Brighton, produces goals or assists and handles the defensive demands of Premier League football, Chelle could have a different decision to make by 2027.

Azeez arrived in the Super Eagles as an exciting Championship winger. Brighton have now given him the chance to become a Premier League-tested attacking player who can compete for a serious role in Nigeria’s AFCON plans.