The Nigeria Football Federation has reached out directly to Newcastle United forward William Osula, hoping to convince the 22-year-old to commit his international future to the Super Eagles rather than Denmark.
The news was broken on Wednesday by the Danish sports publication Tipsbladet. Journalist Farzam Abolhosseini, who broke the story, confirmed on social media that the NFF had made contact through the player’s representatives.
“William Osula has been contacted by the Nigerian Football Federation through his background, who want the bomber from Newcastle to represent the African country instead of Denmark,” Abolhosseini posted on X. “He was selected for the Danish national team in March, but did not make his debut.”
That unused appearance is the key to Nigeria’s approach. Osula spent the March international window on the bench as Denmark faced North Macedonia and the Czech Republic in World Cup qualifiers. He did not play a single minute, meaning he remains eligible under FIFA rules to file a one-time switch and represent Nigeria.
Osula was born in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and a Nigerian-French father. His family relocated to England when he was young, and he developed through the academies of Manchester United and Sheffield United before Newcastle paid a reported £15 million to sign him in the summer of 2024.
This season, his game time has been limited to just three Premier League starts and 455 minutes, but he has made a serious impact when called upon. On March 4, he came off the bench and smashed a 90th-minute winner against Manchester United at St James’ Park. He followed that up with the opening goal against Crystal Palace on April 12 and another strike away to Bournemouth last Saturday. In his last four league appearances, he has scored three times.
Denmark manager Brian Riemer praised Osula’s qualities during the March camp. “He has an exceptional core competence with his speed, and he has a pressing game that is incredibly good. He brings something to the camp that can really help the team, and he is bloody good at coming in and changing football matches,” Riemer told the original Tipsbladet report. Despite those words, a competitive debut never arrived.
Osula has previously represented Denmark at Under-19 and Under-21 level, scoring eight goals in 15 matches for the U-21 side. At the same time, he has never hidden his Nigerian identity. He often calls himself a “Naija boy” on social media, recently shared a video cooking ogbono soup with pounded yam for his Newcastle teammates, and has been photographed in retro Super Eagles jerseys.
The NFF’s push for Osula is part of a broader plan under head coach Eric Chelle to expand the Super Eagles player pool as the team turns its attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after a playoff loss to DR Congo. Denmark also missed out on the World Cup, losing on penalties to the Czech Republic, which removes what could have been a powerful recruiting argument for the Danish camp.
Nigeria’s forward line already includes Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu, and younger options like Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare. The NFF is believed to see Osula as a long-term asset who can eventually step into a central role when Osimhen reaches the later stage of his career.
No deadline has been given for a final decision. Denmark are scheduled for two international friendlies in June, while the Super Eagles face Poland in Warsaw on June 3 and Portugal on June 10. The coming weeks are expected to see further discussions between the NFF and Osula’s camp.
