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For a long time, Raphael Onyedika’s Nigeria career has existed in the background noise of conversations. It has probably not been loud enough to force decisions, but it has been too persistent to ignore.
“Onyedika should play.
Onyedika deserves a run.
Onyedika fits what this team is missing.”
It has been a familiar chorus among Nigerian fans for months now. The reasons were never romantic or forceful. They were practical. His club form with Club Brugge showed it, the role Nigeria needed him to play required him, yet he had largely been overlooked.
And perhaps, those who argued he was not ready were not entirely wrong.
You wonder why quite a number of coaches have come through the Nigerian team and not really given him that chance. But international football is not always about sentiment or even logic. Sometimes it comes down to trust, and timing.
On Tuesday evening in Fes, during Nigeria’s 3-1 win over Uganda at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Raphael Onyedika finally got his moment. And he did not waste it.
Did Onyedika, Onuachu or someone else make a case to start in the round of 16? ? pic.twitter.com/LHAH4NfLnb
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A Night That Changed the Conversation
Onyedika scored twice, in the 62nd and 67th minutes, and walked away with the Man of the Match award. But as decisive as the goals were, they were not the most illuminating part of his performance.
From the first whistle, Onyedika set the tone. His positioning stood out. His movement into the space between Uganda’s lines gave Nigeria an escape route under pressure and a base from which to build.
At club level, Onyedika’s passing numbers are elite for a midfielder of his type. He completes over 90 percent of his passes and routinely posts high volumes of successful passes with strong long-ball accuracy. Those traits became visible in Nigeria’s rhythm on Tuesday night.
He stepped inside to drive play forward and anchored possession whenever Nigeria needed to reset.
Intelligent Goals
Looking at his first goal, it was a composed finish under the goalkeeper, born from a calm first touch and intelligent positioning. His run into the box carried the instinct of a striker.
The pass from Samuel Chukwueze was firm and could easily have run past him, but Onyedika controlled it cleanly and showed the decisiveness to slide the ball under the goalkeeper.
Five minutes later, Nigeria’s third goal and his second followed a similar pattern. A clever run beyond the defence, strong awareness, and a sudden burst into the box. Chukwueze dazzled again on the wing, beat two men, and Onyedika was exactly where he needed to be to finish first time from the cutback.
These are qualities that do not just produce goals, but make tactical statements.
More Than Just Goals
Defensively, which remains his primary role, Onyedika’s contribution was just as important. At club level, he averages over two tackles per 90 minutes and nearly four ball recoveries, blending aggression with positional discipline.
That work rate showed again. Rather than drifting on the edge of the game, he was active in regaining possession and recycling the ball in forward areas, helping Nigeria manage transitions, especially after the break.
Nigeria’s midfield looked calm and controlled whenever the ball moved through him, and that kind of stability is not a small thing at international level.
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— Bet9ja: The home of #betBOOM! ? (@Bet9jaOfficial) December 31, 2025
A Question Nigeria Can No Longer Avoid
This performance did not come out of nowhere. It has been building for months, perhaps years. Club Brugge fans know his calm passing, disciplined defensive work, and intelligent movement. Nigerian fans have been saying similar things long before Tuesday night.
Now, head coach Eric Chelle faces a decision that could define this tournament for Nigeria. Onyedika has shown exactly what he offers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a midfield plan that ignores him, especially when the results are there to support it.
