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Ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off at the start of next year, Brentford defensive midfielder, Frank Onyeka, has been assessing the Nigerian national team’s chances, hoping that the Super Eagles will claim the fourth African title in Cote d’Ivoire given their stars thriving in Europe.
Speaking to LiveScore, Onyeka who has played 14 times for Nigeria and scored one goal since his debut in 2020 sees the Super Eagles as the team others are ‘scared’ of, fantasizing a smooth run at AFOCON 2023.
However, Onyeka can see the pressure building as the Eagles edge closer to the tournament. He touches on interesting talking points in the interview.
Excerpts…
Frank Onyeka on Nigeria’s leading talent…
“I say that because of the squad we’ve got, we can go there and win it.
Also Read: Boniface Backs ‘Great Player’ Tella To Become Key Star For Super Eagles
“You’ve obviously got Osimhen, Boniface, Awoniyi — they are all doing
well in Europe.
“So we’ve got a good team and we can go and win.
“We have plenty of past players who have done well for Nigeria but now
for us as players, we need to focus on ourselves and as a team to do what we need to do to make our nation proud.”
Onyeka on pressure ahead of the AFCON 2023 in Coted’Ivoire
“We do [have pressure] because Nigeria is massive, we have a population
of about 200 million.
“So every game, every tournament, they always expect us to win. There’s
always pressure on us.
“But it’s good because you can see the country, they all watch football and they want us to do it.
“So that’s a good thing for us and motivation to do our best.”
Onyeka on scoring his first international goal for Nigeria in a 3-2 win against Mozambique – in an international friendly match on October 16 2023 in Portugal…
“It was special. I was worried it would not come but I’m happy it did.
“I scored and we got the win, so I was really happy. I’m really proud
and I know my family were also proud.
“It’s a big thing as a Nigeria player, getting your first goal for the
national team so I’m really, really happy about the goal.”
Onyeka on his international journey with Nigeria…
“Every player back home has the dream of playing at the top level like the Premier League.
“When I was growing up, I always trusted myself that I was going to be playing for my country, representing them at a tournament.
“It was the goal to play at the top but you never know if you’ll get there.
“But I’m happy I made the step up really quick.”
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