Osayi-Samuel’s Father Confirms Super Eagles Right Back Was Born in Europe

The story most people assumed they knew about Bright Osayi-Samuel is not quite right. His father Nelson has confirmed that the Super Eagles right back was born in Europe — not in Okija, Anambra State as widely reported.

Nelson Osayi did not name the specific country but explained his own journey: originally from Lagos, he lived in Germany before relocating to Spain, and chose to raise his family abroad deliberately.

“I am a Nigerian. He was born here in Europe,” Nelson said. “I knew they would call him to the national team.”

Getting Osayi-Samuel to the Super Eagles was not straightforward. He had no Nigerian passport before his international debut against Portugal. The NFF fast-tracked the documentation, and the Nigerian embassy in Ankara physically travelled to Istanbul to deliver it to him.

He has since earned 34 caps and was part of Nigeria’s bronze-medal squad at AFCON 2025.