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Victor Osimhen Hails Rafael Onyedika, Says Midfielder Deserves More Recognition After Uganda Display

Published

3 weeks ago

8:56 pm

Victor Osimhen Hails Rafael Onyedika, Says Midfielder Deserves More Recognition After Uganda Display

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has showered praise on Raphael Onyedika, insisting the midfielder deserves far more recognition following his standout performance in Nigeria’s 3–1 victory over Uganda at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Onyedika was the star of the show in the Group C encounter, scoring a superb second-half brace in what was his first start of the tournament for the three-time African champions. His goals came after Paul Onuachu had given Nigeria a first-half lead, sealing a comfortable win for the Super Eagles.

Speaking after the match, Osimhen was emphatic in his admiration for the Club Brugge midfielder, noting that Onyedika’s contributions often go unnoticed despite his consistency and quality.

“Onyedika has been one of our best players and most of the time, he doesn’t get the hype he deserves,” Osimhen told reporters.

“He is really a talented player. For the kind of performance he put in against Uganda, I think he deserves to be in the spotlight.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about the Super Eagles, it’s all about him because he has done so well and he deserves to be in the spotlight.”

Onyedika’s commanding display in midfield, combined with his clinical finishing, earned him widespread praise and underlined the depth and balance in Nigeria’s squad under head coach Eric Chelle. With the knockout stages approaching, performances like this have given the Super Eagles both momentum and healthy selection headaches.

For Onyedika, the Uganda match may well prove to be a defining moment of his AFCON campaign—one that finally brings him the recognition teammates like Osimhen believe he richly deserves.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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