Frank Onyeka believes Victor Osimhen’s presence will give Nigeria a major psychological edge at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, describing the striker as a player defenders fear and respect.
Both Onyeka and Osimhen are part of the Super Eagles squad looking to make up for the disappointment of losing the final of the 2023 AFCON to hosts Ivory Coast, a match they both started. While Osimhen scored only once during that tournament, his overall impact for Nigeria has continued to grow. The 26 year old striker has now scored 31 goals in 45 appearances for the national team, placing him second on Nigeria’s all time goalscoring list behind Rashidi Yekini.
Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, Onyeka highlighted the unique threat Osimhen brings to the team.
“He’s such an amazing player,” Onyeka said. “He’s a guy that wants to fight for every single ball. For me, I think the defenders are scared of him.
“Victor is on another level.”
Osimhen’s importance was underlined during Nigeria’s failed 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles collected only four points from a possible 15 in matches where the striker was unavailable. His absence was also felt during the World Cup play off against DR Congo, when he was forced off at half time.
“Missing Victor going into the second half, [it] changed a bit,” Onyeka admitted. “Even one of the players from Congo said the same. When Victor left it gave the defenders a bit of rest and then they can relax a bit.”
While Onyeka remains a regular figure in the national team setup, his club career has been more challenging. The midfielder has struggled for consistent starts at Brentford and has yet to begin a Premier League match this season under new manager Keith Andrews. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
The 27 year old explained that his time in Germany helped him improve mentally, especially through mindfulness and mental preparation.
“It’s good because if you’re stressed, you just try to be calm and relaxed as much as possible,” he said. “I try to do that every day, but most times I do it before games, just to prepare myself.
“I do it in my room before I go to the stadium and after the first half I try to do a bit. I just focus on my breathing to make sure that I feel settled.”
Despite playing regularly for Augsburg, Onyeka did not score in 34 appearances across all competitions. However, his goals proved crucial for Nigeria during World Cup qualification. He scored a dramatic late winner against Benin to secure a play off place and also found the net in the defeat to DR Congo.
“I’ve been looking to get goals into my profile,” Onyeka said. “In my time in Augsburg [it was] something that I discussed a lot. I always want to go forward, I want to score goals.
“It’s sad that we didn’t qualify for the next World Cup, with the talent that we have. It’s a motivation for us to go into Afcon and win it and bring it back home.”
With Osimhen leading the line and players like Onyeka eager to respond to past setbacks, Nigeria will head into the 2025 AFCON determined to reclaim continental glory.
