By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria midfielder Frank Onyeka has praised Niger Tornadoes’ rising star Papa Daniel, describing him as a “good player” and a promising midfield partner following their recent outing at the Unity Cup in London.
The duo featured together in Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Ghana in the opening match of the tournament, where Daniel earned plaudits for his composure and energy in midfield.
Speaking to UK-based Nigerian journalist Austin Okon Akpan, Onyeka admitted he had not known much about the NPFL player prior to the tournament but was impressed by his performance and chemistry on the pitch.
“It was good playing with him—he’s exceptional,” said the Brentford midfielder.
“I didn’t know him before, but playing with him was really great. He is a good player.”
Daniel is expected to have another opportunity to feature for the Super Eagles when they take on Russia in a friendly match on Friday in Moscow.
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.
