By Wale Mustapha
Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka has revealed that his loan spell at Bundesliga side Augsburg played a key role in his development, boosting his performance back in the English Premier League (EPL).
The Super Eagles midfielder spent the 2024/25 season on loan in Germany, featuring in 31 league games.
Since returning to Brentford, Onyeka has become a key figure under manager Keith Andrews, registering two assists in nine appearances across all competitions.
“People often say that in the Bundesliga, players run a lot compared to the Premier League,” Onyeka told the club’s matchday programme.
“When I got there, I felt it. They always want to go forward with every ball and it helped to add more improvements to my game.”
The 27-year-old credits his time in Germany for enhancing his tactical awareness and work rate, which have been evident in his recent performances for Brentford.
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.
