With 75 Premier League appearances across five seasons for the West London club, Brentford including 31 in the Bundesliga during a season-long loan with FC Augsburg last year, Nigeria international Frank Onyeka’s loan move to Coventry City, has been described as a ‘brilliant deal’ by the Frank Lampard led side.
But before that, Onyeka, who is fresh from a blistering performance at the just ended 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), shared his thoughts on the African football fiesta in Morocco.
He noted that the Super Eagles went to the Northern African country with the hope of coming back with the gold medal.
“In the last tournament, we went all the way into the final before Cote d’Ivoire stopped us in front of their massive fans.
“We were hosted by the Nigeria government, though, it came as a surprise, but we were happy and looking forward to winning the gold medal this time around. We had dinner with the President and that left an indelible mark on us.”
While preparing for the 2025 edition of AFCON, Onyeka hoped that he would meet the president again – but this time with a gold medal hanging around his neck.
“I’m very proud to wear the shirt,” Onyeka said. “It’s a huge thing, representing over 200 million people, and there’s a lot of pressure.
“It’s always special. My brothers send me pictures when I play for Nigeria. It’s a different feeling, when you know that people who you love are watching you.
“We had hoped this will be our year, having lost it last time in the final. Not so many people thought we could get to the final, but we did. That squad is one of the best the Super Eagles have ever had. William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon – we have good leaders in this group. We wanted to give Nigerians the trophy.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
