Shehu Abdullahi has first training with Bursaspor

Nigeria international defender Shehu Abdullahi had his first training with his new club on Wednesday after leaving Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta for Turkey where he has joined Super Lig club Bursaspor in a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 24-year-old joined Anorthosis Famagusta from Portuguese club União da Madeira in September 2016.

Abdullahi, who has previously played in Kuwait and Portugal, joins compatriots William Troost-Ekong, Mikel Agu and Paschal Okoli at Bursaspor who are managed by former Cameroon boss Paul Le Guen.

“I thank Anorthosis Famagusta for an amazing journey and very delighted to be a Bursaspor player,” Abdullahi told BBC Sport.

In the final year of his contract in Cyprus, he was strongly linked with a move to English championship side Birmingham City but opted for top-flight football as he eyes a World Cup place.

Abdullahi played for Nigeria at the 2013 under-20 World Cup in Turkey and starred as his country finish third at the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

The versatile player featured in five matches as Nigeria clinched bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic football tournament.

He made his full senior international debut in a friendly against DR Congo in October 2015 and has won 17 caps and scored once for the Super Eagles.

Abdullahi played all eight matches as Nigeria seal 2018 World Cup qualification, but made headlines when he cost his country three points and a $6,000 fine after it emerged that he was ineligible to play in the final game against Algeria.

He played the whole match against Algeria even though he should have been suspended for picking up yellow cards in two previous qualifiers.