Flying Eagles Invitee Oshagbemi Makes First Move to Europe

Godwin Oshagbemi earned an invitation to a Flying Eagles camp in 2023, training with Nigeria’s top U-20 players. Although he missed the final Argentina squad, he spent two years developing in the Republic of Benin. Now, he has made his first professional move in Europe and is expected to join a top-flight club by summer. Kwara Football Academy confirmed the transfer. The 20-year-old striker’s five-month contract with Croatian club NK Omis runs through the season’s end. He is set to debut Saturday against HNK Val. This brief deal is likely intended as a springboard for a summer move to a higher division. Oshagbemi’s route to Europe was indirect. After his invitation to the Flying Eagles, he spent two years at ASVO FC in Benin’s top division, where he maintained match fitness, refined his scoring, and drew the attention of European scouts. His technical and finishing ability attracted particular interest.

The Flying Eagles Connection

Oshagbemi’s 2023 Flying Eagles invitation came on the back of impressive displays in the NPFL with Kwara United, where he had emerged as one of the more reliable young strikers in domestic competition. His camp-mates at that Flying Eagles preparation camp included players such as Benjamin Frederick, Tochukwu Nnamdi, and Salim Fago Lawal, several of whom have since been capped at the senior level for Nigeria.

He did not make the final squad that went to Argentina. But the 2023 Flying Eagles had a strong tournament, defeating the host nation to reach the quarter-finals before losing to South Korea. The quality of that squad gives some indication of the standard Oshagbemi was held to at the time. The fact that he was considered for that camp, then spent two years developing in West Africa before earning a move to Europe, shows a development arc that is slower but more deliberate than the academy pathways his contemporaries took.

Oshagbemi takes a route many Nigerians follow: early development in smaller West African leagues before European moves. Benin’s top division offers competitive matches and access to scouts heavily active in the region. Lower Croatian and Eastern European leagues are a common first step for Nigerians, providing competitive football and a route to higher European leagues. NK Omis’s signing of Oshagbemi is expected to be a prelude to a summer move up the ladder.

What Comes Next

Oshagbemi’s five-month deal at NK Omis is clearly a short-term arrangement. Kwara Football Academy expects a strong end-of-season to draw interest from top-flight Croatian or other European clubs, with the summer transfer window likely marking the next stage.

His Flying Eagles invitation makes him Super Eagles-eligible at the U-23 level, and the progression of his European career will determine whether he enters the frame for future national team consideration. For now, his immediate task is simpler: debut on Saturday, score goals, and give the clubs watching him enough evidence to move for him in the summer. The path from NK Omis to the Super Eagles is long. But it has started.

FootballInNigeria.com.ng will track Oshagbemi’s progress in Croatia. Fans of Nigerians in Europe can follow him in our International Nigerian Footballers section. NK Omis is based in the coastal town of Omis, Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The club plays in the lower divisions and is among several Croatian teams linked to Nigerian agents and academies along the West Africa-to-Eastern Europe transfer path.

The Kwara Football Academy, Oshagbemi’s parent club, is one of Nigeria’s most productive state-level academies for young talent. Based in Kwara State, the academy has produced players who have represented Nigeria at various age levels and gone on to professional careers both domestically and internationally.

Nigeria’s 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup squad, which participated in Argentina and reached the quarter-finals, included several players who have since progressed to senior international football. The Flying Eagles’ defeat of the host nation, Argentina, in that tournament was one of the most celebrated results in Nigerian youth football in recent years.

The Republic of Benin’s top professional football division, where Oshagbemi played for ASVO FC, has become an increasingly significant development environment for Nigerian players. Several Nigerians have used spells in Beninese football as a stepping stone to European contracts, taking advantage of the competitive standard and the growing network of scouts monitoring the West African football scene.

Kwara United, the NPFL club where Oshagbemi’s performances attracted the Flying Eagles invitation, is one of the more established sides in the Nigerian Premier Football League and has a track record of developing young attacking talent. Their youth setup has contributed several players to Nigeria’s age-group teams over the past decade.

Croatian lower-division football has become a well-established pathway for Nigerian players seeking their first European experience. The combination of relatively accessible visa arrangements, competitive league structure, and proximity to the broader European transfer market has made Croatia an attractive first destination for West African players taking their initial steps in European football.

Benjamin Frederick, one of Oshagbemi’s camp-mates at the 2023 Flying Eagles preparation, has since gone on to earn senior Super Eagles consideration. The progression of that group of players from Flying Eagles camp invitees to professional careers across multiple continents reflects the depth of Nigerian football talent emerging from the domestic and diaspora pipeline simultaneously.