1 month ago
16 Nigeria and Club Brugge midfielder, Raphael Onyedika, is confident that the Super Eagles will triumph over Libya in Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, Completesports.com reports.
The Super Eagles currently lead Group D of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers with four points after two rounds of games. Benin Republic (3 points), Rwanda (2 points), and Libya (1 point) are second, third, and fourth respectively.
Speaking at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene, where the Super Eagles are camped, Onyedika expressed optimism that the team can secure the six points needed to ease their path to the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
“We want to get the six points from Libya. We approach every game with the mindset of winning,” Onyedika said.
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“We know that in football, anything can happen. But we’ve worked hard, and we have the right players with the right mentality to win.
“It won’t be easy. The Libyans won’t be here for sight-seeing, but we know what we want, and we’re going to go for it.”
Nigeria is also facing a challenging situation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the three-time African champions have only amassed three points from four matches. They currently sit in fifth place in the six-team Group C.
However, the soft-spoken former Ozalla Football Academy player insists it’s still too early to count Nigeria out of the World Cup race.
“Yes, of course, we’re still in the race. We still have a good chance. It’s all about winning our games and seeing what happens with the other teams,” he continued. “We missed the last World Cup, and we cannot afford to miss the next one in 2026.”
Reflecting on his first international goal for the Super Eagles, scored in Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, Onyedika said: “It was one of my best moments because I always want to score for my team, my country.
Also Read – CHAN 2024 Qualifier: Nigeria, Ghana Set For Fiery Showdown
“But unfortunately, we lost the game, and that wasn’t the ending I expected. Still, I’m happy to have scored for my country.”
During the summer transfer window, Onyedika was linked with several English Premier League clubs. The 23-year-old explained that he focused on his career and wasn’t distracted by transfer speculation.
“I don’t really know much about that. I think my job is to focus and play my football, and if anything happens, good. If not, that’s the way God wants it,” he concluded.
By Sab Osuji in Uyo
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