Plymouth Argyle forward Owen Oseni has spoken for the first time after making history in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the semifinals of the 2025 Unity Cup.
The 23-year-old striker, who was born in Waterford, Ireland, became the first Irish-born player to feature for the Super Eagles when he came off the bench to replace Philip Otele during the encounter at The Valley on May 26.
Eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, Nigeria and Ivory Coast through his heritage, Oseni has now pledged his international future to Nigeria.
Although he was an unused substitute in the Unity Cup final against Jamaica, the former St Mirren forward remains part of the squad for Nigeria’s upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal.
Taking to social media after a memorable week with the national team, Oseni described his debut as a proud moment for both himself and his family.
“To be the first Irish kid to play for the Super Eagles will be a moment me and my family will cherish forever. What a week with the brothers,” he wrote on Instagram.
The post drew congratulatory messages from fans and fellow professionals, including Irish-Nigerian footballers Roland Idowu and Franco Umeh, as Oseni continues to savour a landmark achievement in his young international career.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
