Nigeria: Super Eagles beat Republic of Ireland, Cote d’Ivoire to 10-goal striker ahead of Unity Cup

Nigeria have moved quickly to secure the international future of Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni after the forward received his first senior call-up to the Super Eagles ahead of this month’s Unity Cup in London, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 23-year-old centre-forward has enjoyed a strong season with Plymouth, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists in 33 appearances across all competitions. His performances in England’s League One attracted attention from several national teams, with the Republic of Ireland and Ivory Coast both eligible to approach him.

Oseni was born in Waterford, Ireland, but qualifies to represent Nigeria through his father and Ivory Coast through his mother. Despite those options, the striker has now decided to commit his international future to Nigeria.

The Nigeria Football Federation reacted quickly after learning of the player’s decision. A formal invitation letter has reportedly been sent to Plymouth Argyle confirming his inclusion in the squad for the Unity Cup, which will take place at The Valley in London between May 26 and May 30.

There are no eligibility concerns surrounding the striker. Oseni already holds a valid Nigerian passport and has never represented either Ireland or Ivory Coast at youth or senior level. That cleared the way for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle to include him in his plans immediately.

The Unity Cup is expected to give Chelle an opportunity to test new players and fringe members of the national team before Nigeria’s international friendlies against Poland and Portugal in June. Oseni’s call-up therefore represents an important chance for the Plymouth attacker to impress on the senior stage for the first time.

Nigeria are scheduled to face Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup on May 26, with Jamaica and India contesting the second semi-final a day later. The final and third-place match will be played on May 30 at Charlton Athletic’s stadium in London.

Oseni’s path to the Super Eagles

Oseni’s football journey has been far from ordinary. He began his career in Ireland with Villa FC and Waterford, where he quickly developed a reputation as a prolific youth striker. His goalscoring form for Waterford’s Under-19 side earned him the League of Ireland Under-19 Player of the Month award in April 2022.

In 2023, he moved to England to join Derby County’s academy setup. During his time there, he gained senior experience through loan spells with Nuneaton Borough and Rushall Olympic. At Nuneaton, he scored seven goals in 15 appearances, while he also impressed at Rushall Olympic.

After leaving Derby, Oseni joined Gateshead in July 2024 and enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the National League. He scored 13 league goals in just 24 appearances and quickly established himself as one of the division’s most dangerous attackers.

His form earned him a move to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren in January 2025. Although he found regular starts difficult to come by in Scotland, the experience helped his development before Plymouth Argyle moved to sign him on a two-year contract in June 2025.

Since arriving at Plymouth, Oseni has continued his steady rise. His combination of pace, physical strength and movement inside the penalty area helped him reach double figures in goals during the 2025-26 season.

Now, that impressive club form has been rewarded with a chance to wear the green and white colours of Nigeria for the first time.