‘Na wetin i don dey pray for' — New Super Eagles star reacts to shock Nigeria call-up & NPFL title double blessing

• Enugu Rangers’ rock-solid right-back Chibueze Oputa is living a literal football fairytale, winning the league title and earning his first senior international call-up in the same week.

• Speaking from London, the defender completely bypassed boring, heavily rehearsed media-trained scripts to deliver a raw, culturally rooted expression of gratitude.

• Oputa is locked in with Eric Chelle's squad in the UK, ahead of Tuesday’s highly anticipated Unity Cup opener against Zimbabwe.

Enugu Rangers' defensive sensation Chibueze Oputa is currently operating on an absolute spiritual high. 

Just hours after his club historically locked down their record-equaling ninth NPFL title at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, the tireless right-back was rewarded with the ultimate professional prize: his first-ever call-up to the senior national team.

While he previously spoke about his bittersweet heartbreak after missing the wild locker room party in Lagos, the flying full-back has opened up again to Pulse Sports. 

This time, he completely cast aside the envy, pouring out his pure gratitude for a double package he has relentlessly sweated for in the domestic trenches.

Oputa’s explosive rise is exactly the kind of story that keeps fans hooked on domestic football. 

He didn't take an expensive, foreign-academy shortcut to the top; he earned his stripes playing in the gruelling, unforgiving terrain of the Nigerian top flight.

His telepathic defensive discipline and lethal overlapping runs were the literal engine behind Fidelis Ilechukwu’s championship blueprint. 

To see a local boy translate that domestic dominance into an immediate international invitation is something that completely fills him with pride and gratitude to God.

Oputa won't have a single second to sit back and get comfortable with his new champion status. He is currently on the ground in London, adapting to the high-tempo training sessions orchestrated by head coach Eric Chelle.

As one of the key faces in the new-look squad named for the Unity Cup, the pressure on the Rangers man is immense. Nigeria launches its official title defence tomorrow, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at The Valley.

With his prayers officially answered and his confidence sitting at an all-time high, expect Oputa to play with absolute freedom if Chelle hands him his starting shirt tomorrow.