Plymouth’s Oseni explains why he chose Nigeria over Ireland, Ivory Coast after Super Eagles call-up

Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni has revealed why he immediately accepted the chance to represent Nigeria ahead of both Republic of Ireland Ivory Coast after receiving his first-ever senior international call-up, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 23-year-old forward admitted he was left stunned after learning that Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle had included him in Nigeria’s squads for the 2026 Unity Cup in London and the high-profile June friendlies against Poland and Portugal.

Oseni’s invitation has become one of the biggest talking points surrounding Chelle’s latest squad announcement because the Plymouth striker is currently playing in England’s third tier. His selection makes him one of the few players from EFL League One to receive a senior Nigeria call-up in recent years.

Born in Waterford, Ireland, Oseni qualifies to play for Nigeria through his father, while his mother’s roots also made him eligible for Ivory Coast. Before now, he could still have represented the Republic of Ireland internationally, but the striker says Nigeria’s approach was impossible to reject.

“I’d love to represent any country on a national level,” Oseni told BBC Sport. “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.”

The striker also explained how shocked he was to be recognised by a country with such a huge football population.

“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% want to play for their country was quite a big deal for me so I was really buzzing.

“The coaches were watching me, obviously they picked up on the form I’d hit just towards the end of the season.”

Oseni added: “I didn’t think there was a possibility that that could happen. 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.”

Nigeria: Chelle rewards Oseni’s form

Oseni’s call-up follows a breakthrough campaign with Plymouth Argyle after joining the club last summer from Scottish side St Mirren.

The striker scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 33 appearances across all competitions during his first season in the English Football League. His strongest run arrived late in the campaign, when he scored three goals in Plymouth’s final four League One matches as the club narrowly missed out on the play-off places.

Chelle is believed to value Oseni’s direct running, physical strength, aggressive pressing and pace in transition. The Nigeria coach has been searching for attacking players capable of offering a different tactical option when matches become stretched or physical.

The Unity Cup in London will now provide Oseni with his first opportunity to prove he can transfer his club form onto the international stage. Nigeria will face Zimbabwe before meeting either India or Jamaica later in the competition.

The tournament begins on May 26 at The Valley and will serve as an experimental platform for Chelle, who has deliberately separated his Unity Cup squad from the stronger group reserved for June’s glamour friendlies.

Unlike previous Nigeria managers who relied almost entirely on Europe’s elite leagues, Chelle has mixed experienced internationals with emerging talents, dual-national recruits and standout Nigeria Premier Football League performers.

Experienced names such as Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon, Terem Moffi and Francis Uzoho have been retained to provide leadership and balance for the younger squad.

The Unity Cup squad also includes fresh dual-national addition Arthur Okonkwo, who recently switched allegiance from England, while players such as Rafiu Durosinmi and Emmanuel Fernandez were selected because of their suitability to Chelle’s pressing system.

By leaving major stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi out of the Unity Cup roster, Chelle is giving players such as Oseni a genuine opportunity to fight for long-term places in the Super Eagles setup ahead of future AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.