Owen Oseni has opened up on the moment he discovered he had been called up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 Unity Cup, admitting the news left him completely stunned and that he never imagined playing international football at this level of his career.
The 23 year old Plymouth Argyle striker was named in Eric Chelle’s squad this week, becoming one of 12 players to receive a first call-up to the senior Nigeria setup for the Unity Cup tournament in London. Oseni qualifies to play for Nigeria through his father and spoke to BBC Sport about the moment the invitation arrived. “I know I had an alright season, but to get called up for a country where there’s more than 240 million people and probably 50 per cent want to play for their country was quite a big deal for me so I was really buzzing,” the Ireland-born striker said. Nigerian fans backing the Super Eagles at the Unity Cup can visit the Bet9ja Unity Cup promo page for an enhanced opening offer ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against Zimbabwe.
Oseni gave a clear eyed account of how he processed the news, saying he had never entertained the possibility of a Nigeria call up despite a strong finish to his League One season. “All I know is to just work hard and many doors could open, but I definitely didn’t think that I would be one of them,” he admitted. He also paid tribute to the scouting operation behind Chelle’s selection, noting that the coaching staff had tracked his form specifically during the final weeks of Plymouth’s campaign. “The coaches were watching me, obviously they picked up on the form I’d hit just towards the end of the season,” Oseni said. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, his call-up is part of Chelle’s wider drive to cast the net wide across all leagues and continents in search of eligible Nigerian talent.
A Debut Season at Plymouth Ended on a High
Oseni joined Plymouth Argyle last summer from Scottish Premiership side St Mirren, making the move to English football for the first time in his career. The switch took some time to pay off: he contributed just four goals in his first 29 appearances before an explosive run at the end of the season changed everything. Three goals in Plymouth’s final four League One games lifted his season total to 10 from 33 appearances, a return that caught the eye of Chelle’s scouting team at exactly the right moment.
Plymouth narrowly missed out on the League One play offs despite the late surge, finishing just outside the top six on goal difference. The near miss will be a motivating factor for the club going into the 2026-27 season, and Oseni, now armed with an international call up, will be eager to build on a campaign that ended with him as one of the division’s more talked about young strikers. Supporters who want to bet on how Oseni performs at the Unity Cup can use the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code for an enhanced opening bonus.
Nigeria or Ivory Coast? The Decision Was Easy
Oseni’s eligibility across three nations made him an interesting case study in the modern international football landscape. Born in Ireland to a Nigerian father and an Ivorian mother, he could in theory have represented any of the three nations had they come calling first. Cote d’Ivoire have not publicly pursued him, and the Republic of Ireland have not engaged with him at senior level despite his birth qualification. When Nigeria moved, the decision required little deliberation.
“I’d love to represent any country on a national level. It’s massive for me and my career and Nigeria, the Super Eagles, when they came knocking, it was a decision that I couldn’t turn down,” Oseni said. His comments reflect a pattern that has become increasingly familiar under Chelle’s watch: Nigerian-eligible players abroad responding quickly and positively when the Super Eagles make first contact. Beyond the Unity Cup, Oseni is also set to travel with the squad for the June friendlies against Poland in Warsaw on June 3 and Portugal in Leiria on June 10, two of the most demanding non-competitive fixtures Nigeria have arranged in years. Fans who want to follow all three tournaments can check the Bet9ja accumulator guide for the best multi-match offers on Nigeria fixtures.
For a 23 year old who was playing in the Scottish Premiership twelve months ago, the trajectory of the last year is remarkable. Three goals in four games, a Super Eagles call-up, a Unity Cup semi-final and friendlies against Poland and Portugal: Oseni’s summer is shaping up to be the most consequential of his career.
📌 Did You Know?
- Owen Oseni is one of several League One-based players to have received a Super Eagles call-up under Eric Chelle’s management. Chelle has made it a priority to monitor all tiers of European football for eligible Nigerian talent, rather than restricting his scouting to the top five leagues.
- Plymouth Argyle finished outside the League One play off places on goal difference in the 2025-26 season. Had they qualified, Oseni’s strong end-of-season form could have taken them all the way to the Championship promotion final at Wembley.
- St Mirren, the Scottish Premiership club Oseni left last summer, finished fourth in the Scottish Premiership in the 2024-25 season. His move to Plymouth represented a step down in league prestige but gave him more consistent first-team involvement.
- The Republic of Ireland have historically pursued players of Irish birth with dual eligibility quite aggressively. The fact that Oseni chose Nigeria over Ireland when given the opportunity reflects the growing pull of the Super Eagles brand among the diaspora.
- Cote d’Ivoire, the third nation for which Oseni qualifies, won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 on home soil. They are one of the most competitive nations on the African continent and regularly pursue dual-eligible players from European leagues.
- Poland, who the Super Eagles face in the June friendly, qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and are preparing for the tournament with a series of high-profile test matches. The game gives Nigeria an early benchmark for their own preparation ahead of African qualifiers.
- Portugal, the other June friendly opponent, are one of the top ranked international sides in the world and will travel to the match buoyed by a strong qualifying campaign. For Oseni, facing the likes of Bruno Fernandes and other established Premier League names could be the defining experience of his early international career.
