By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika has expressed confidence that Club Brugge are mentally and physically prepared for their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Belgian champions will host the Spanish giants in a Matchday Four encounter, with Barcelona heading into the fixture as clear favourites.
Onyedika, however, believes his team have what it takes to compete and possibly spring a surprise against the former European champions.
“It won’t be an easy task, of course, but everyone here is looking forward to it,” he told the club’s official website.
“We know what’s coming, but we can’t be afraid. We just have to be in good shape, mentally and physically, for it.”
Club Brugge head into the tie in good spirits after a 2–1 victory over Dender in the Belgian Pro League on Saturday.
The result, Onyedika said, has further boosted the squad’s confidence ahead of the high-profile encounter.
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.
