Femi Azeez: Why Super Eagles star missed Brighton’s 2-0 win at Sunderland

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has explained why Femi Azeez missed the Seagulls’ 2-0 Premier League victory over Sunderland on Saturday.

There had been silent hopes that the Super Eagles winger would make his long-awaited debut after the international break.

Azeez joined Brighton during the summer transfer window after impressing in the Championship with Millwall. His 11 goals and seven assists last season had raised expectations that he could bring his attacking quality to the Premier League.

However, the 24-year-old is still waiting for his first competitive appearance for the club. Brighton boss Hurzeler has revealed that the winger needs more time to adapt to the physical demands of his new environment.

Hurzeler explains Femi Azeez’s delayed Brighton debut

Brighton had been expected to consider Femi Azeez for the trip to Sunderland after the international break. The winger was also pictured in training in photographs published by the club during the week.

But Hurzeler ruled out an immediate return, explaining that the Nigerian had experienced minor issues following a friendly appearance.

“He played in a friendly game and he had some minor issues this week,” the Brighton manager said as per The Argus.

“What I mean by that is his body needs to adapt to our intensity, to our demands, the demands in the Premier League.

“I think he’s feeling now that he’s in his adaptation phase.”

Hurzeler stressed that Azeez’s situation was not an injury but said the club needed to manage his workload carefully.

“It’s not an injury but there are some small, minor issues and, again, he’s a player who is quite sensitive,” he added.

The German coach also explained that Brighton would work with the winger to determine the right moment for his debut. He insists that patience was necessary for players adjusting to a new environment.

“Some players need more time, some players are quicker. We have to see how Femi reacts to this,” Hurzeler said.

Goals from Maxime De Cuyper and Jaouen Hadjam handed ten-man Brighton an impressive victory at the Stadium of Light in Azeez’s absence.

Nigerian fans will be eager to see the former Championship attacker reproduce his impressive form at the highest level.

His attacking ability could also prove valuable to the Super Eagles as they prepare for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania in November.