Super Eagles invitee Valentine Ozornwafor has described his recent call-up to the senior national team as ‘a dream come true’ and a ‘great achievement’, stating that it did not come to him as a surprise.

The Enyimba central defender, who impressed as Nigeria’s Flying Eagles picked a ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland at the U-20 AFCON in Niger Republic last month, was on Monday handed an invitation to the Super Eagles ahead of a dead-rubber AFCON qualifier against Seychelles and a friendly match with Egypt later this month in Asaba.

“I really want to appreciate the Almighty God for such a moment. Honestly speaking, it is a dream come true,” the 19-year-old said.

“Rising up from the academy; playing grassroots football, day-by-day you keep wishing and hoping that one day you will represent your nation putting on the green and white colours, singing the national anthem of your nation.

“And today, I’m being called upon to represent my motherland. So, it is a huge thing in my career.

“I am really grateful to God Almighty and to my coaches. I just want to say thank you to them,” the former Port City Academy player said.

Ozornwafor only made his debut for Enyimba on Sunday in a rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football League tie against Insurance of Benin.

Asked if his invitation to the Super Eagles is coming too soon, the youngster said: “In the past years, nothing happened. I kept the faith, kept working and kept believing that one day something good and nice will come. I kept working hard, training hard and equally praying hard. And today, the opportunity has come.

“If you ask me, it is not coming fast because it is what I have hoped for, what I have thought of and what I have dreamt about. And now, it is here.

“I just want to thank God that I am in the right form, right shape and right sense. I’m just back from the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. And I played my first game for my club, Enyimba Football Club.

“It’s a great achievement for me.”