Raphael Onyedika has been in sensational form over the past
month or so for his Belgian employers Club Brugge, making vital
contributions all over the pitch, especially in front of goal.
Such performances would make it hard — if not altogether
impossible — for the next Nigeria manager, whoever that may be, to
overlook the 23-year-old and how he could possibly bolster the
Super Eagles’ fortunes.
With Onyedika’s current form, Club Brugge find themselves at a
crossroads regarding the future of the Nigerian midfielder. With
reports swirling that they are considering letting Onyedika leave,
questions arise about whether this decision would prove to be a
transfer mistake.
Before Onyedika hit this good run of form, Club Brugge had
resolved to let him leave this summer, even going ahead to acquire
the services of 21-year-old Swiss international Ardon Jashari from
FC Luzern as the Nigerian’s replacement.
The prospect of letting Onyedika leave raises concerns among
many football supporters. Given his current form and potential for
further development, many believe that parting ways with the
Nigerian midfielder could be a transfer mistake.
Since making his
Nigeria debut in a September 2022 friendly against Algeria,
Onyedika has only added six caps to his collection, with just three
of those being starts.
At the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year, for
instance, he was sparsely used by then-head coach Jose Peseiro,
appearing only as a substitute in the third group game against
Guinea-Bissau.
Going forward, though, Onyedika is building a strong case not
just for a regular starting berth — should he keep his form up —
but as a key figure, perhaps the one the team should be built
around.
Here are three reasons that should be the case.
Raphael Onyedika’s attacking form
makes him indispensable for Nigeria
Prior to mid-March’s league visit to St. Truidense, Onyedika
only had three direct goal involvements to his name since making
the move from Danish side Midtjylland in the summer of 2022, but he
has since racked up some remarkable numbers in that period.
Three goals — two against Belgian First Division A title rivals
Anderlecht — and an assist in his last seven games prove Onyedika
is able to do a whole lot more than merely getting stuck in the
drudgery that usually defines action in the middle of the park.
Nigeria has no shortage of prolific goalscorers at the moment,
of course, but the team has struggled for goals of late, and any
help — even from a traditional defensive midfielder like Onyedika —
will be very helpful.
Onyedika could be the key to unlocking
Ndidi’s attacking prowess for Nigeria
Speaking of midfielders contributing goals and assists at club
level, another is Wilfred Ndidi, who has been posting truly
impressive numbers for his club, Leicester City, this season.
Ndidi, who himself began his European career in Belgium before
joining the Foxes some seven years ago, has registered six goals
and six assists for Leicester — for context, he has a total of 34
across all competitions during his stay at the King Power Stadium —
in a campaign that is almost certain to see the Championship club
return to the Premier League on the first attempt.
That attacking edge could be beneficial to the Super Eagles too,
but only if Ndidi is deployed a little farther than usual in
midfield.
Playing him in a double-pivot with Onyedika — as was the case in
the last friendly, against Mali — and assigning the latter a more
defensive brief would liberate Ndidi to contribute a lot more to
Nigeria’s offensive output.
Onyedika could provide the control in
midfield Nigeria have missed since Mikel’s exit
It has been some five years since John Obi Mikel ended his
sterling duration of service to the Nigerian national team, but the
search for a midfielder capable of controlling games as brilliantly
as the former Chelsea man did for his country continues.
Quite a few players have auditioned for the role, but none has
done so consistently well enough to claim it for themselves.
But that is just the quality Onyedika has showcased this season,
regularly delivering performances for Club Brugge that suggests he
could just as efficiently and successfully operate in such an
assignment for the Super Eagles.
Onyedika’s most recent performance, at home vs Genk on Wednesday
evening, was only the latest instance and a particularly brilliant
illustration of that ability.
His display on this occasion was not marked by a goal or assist,
no; but it still earned him high praise from observers, including
one popular website that scored the Nigerian a match-high 9.0
rating and commended him for, among other things, how he “set the
rhythm” of the game, which his team ended up winning 4-0.
If handed the keys, Onyedika could definitely do a similar job
for Nigeria, thriving in a way nobody else quite has since Mikel
departed the scene.
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