‘He told me to get up’ - 2013 AFCON winner reveals Stephen Keshi’s impact on his career

Oshaniwa, now 35, emerged on the international stage in 2012, making his debut in a friendly against Liberia as a potential successor to Taye Taiwo. 

Despite his call-up, he was not the primary choice at left-back, with Elderson Echiejile being the preferred starter. Nevertheless, Oshaniwa became a regular fixture in Keshi's squads, participating in World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

His inclusion in the final 23-man squad for the 2013 AFCON was a significant moment, as he was one of several home-based players, alongside Godfrey Oboabona, Chigozie Agbim, and Sunday Mba, to make the cut.

The former Lobi Stars defender explained that Keshi's greatest strength was instilling unwavering confidence in the domestic players, ensuring they were always prepared to step up when called upon.

"When I broke into the national team, some of the things that we were going to need were already deposited in me," the AFCON winner recalled in an interview with Eagles Tracker. "The confidence that the gaffer himself already gave me made it difficult for me not to repay his good work."

He highlighted the immense trust Keshi showed by substituting him into such a crucial match without any prior game time in the tournament.

"It's difficult to bring on a player who hasn't played at that level into a final," Oshaniwa noted. "The confidence he gave all the domestic players assured him that whenever he called upon us, we'd always deliver. 

“In that moment, I had no warm-up; immediately, Elderson Echiejile went to ground. He told me to get up. What was in my mind then was it is now or never."

"It was time for me to put my name in the Nigerian record book, and then in Africa as a whole. Being a debutant, I had to take the chance," he concluded.

Keshi's faith in his home-based selections paid off spectacularly. Fellow domestic player Sunday Mba scored the tournament's winning goal, while Godfrey Oboabona formed a formidable defensive partnership with Kenneth Omeruo.