Owen Oseni has admitted he was left stunned after receiving his first call up to the Nigeria national football team, describing the moment as one of the biggest highlights of his career so far.
The 23 year old Plymouth Argyle FC striker was included in Nigeria’s squad for next month’s international friendly matches against Poland and Portugal ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Oseni will also be part of the Super Eagles squad set to compete at the 2026 Unity Cup in London later this month, where Nigeria will face Zimbabwe national football team before potentially meeting either India national football team or Jamaica national football team.
Reacting to the call up, the forward admitted the news came as a major surprise after what he described as a decent season in England.
“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,” Oseni told BBC Sport.
“The coaches were watching me, obviously they picked up on the form I’d hit just towards the end of the season.”
Strong form late in the campaign appeared to have played a major role in his selection. Owen Oseni scored three goals in Plymouth’s final four matches of the League One season as the club narrowly missed out on a playoff place.
The Irish born striker finished his first season in the English Football League with 10 goals in 33 appearances after joining Plymouth from Scottish side St Mirren FC last summer following a spell with Gateshead FC.
Although eligible to represent Nigeria through his father, Owen Oseni also qualifies for Ivory Coast national football team through his mother and could also have represented the Republic of Ireland national football team.
Despite having multiple international options, the striker admitted Nigeria’s approach was impossible to reject.
“I’d love to represent any country on a national level,” he says. “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.
“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.”
The call up will also provide Oseni with the opportunity to train alongside top Nigerian stars including Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, while potential friendlies against players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski now await.
The striker believes the international experience will further improve his confidence ahead of next season.
“It’ll definitely boost my confidence coming back into pre-season,” he said.
“I’m looking to come back and nail down the starting position now for Argyle next year and I think this will help me a lot, this call-up.”
Oseni also defended the quality of League One football, insisting the division deserves greater recognition for the level of talent it produces.
“I feel like in League One being the third tier in England, it could get looked upon as not the highest standard because it’s third tier.
“But there’s a lot of great players in League One, there’s a lot of good internationals in League One who go and do well for the country.
“So it definitely gives League One that recognition I think it deserves because I think in terms of the individual quality, and the players this season, the league was very good.”
