Raphael Onyedika was named Man of the Match after delivering a standout performance in Nigeria’s 3–1 victory over Uganda in their final Group C fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday night.
The Club Brugge midfielder, making his first start of the tournament, justified head coach Eric Chelle’s decision with a commanding display in the middle of the park, capping his performance with a superb brace.
Onyedika opened his account in the 63rd minute, finishing confidently to double Nigeria’s advantage after Paul Onuachu had broken the deadlock earlier in the contest. Just four minutes later, the 24-year-old struck again to register his second of the night and effectively put the game beyond Uganda’s reach.
The midfielder completed the full 90 minutes at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, controlling proceedings with composure, energy, and tactical discipline as the Super Eagles maintained their dominance despite a late consolation goal from the Cranes.
The brace takes Onyedika’s international tally to three goals in 19 appearances for the three-time African champions, underlining his growing influence within the squad.
Nigeria finished the group stage with a perfect record of three wins from three matches, while Onyedika’s performance added to Eric Chelle’s selection headache ahead of the knockout rounds, as competition for places intensifies within the Super Eagles camp.
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.
