The Brentford midfielder finally established his place as a full international at the 2023 AFCON since he made his Super Eagles debut four years ago.
🇳🇬 Frank Onyeka 🇳🇬
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 8, 2024
Tireless work by the Super Eagles midfielder makes him the 'The X Effect' in Nigeria vs. South Africa 💪#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | @AXE pic.twitter.com/aUp9HU42fU
At the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, ‘The Tank’ only saw 14 minutes of action for the Super Eagles.
At the delayed AFCON earlier this year, he started all seven games as Nigeria went all the way to the championship game against hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
He may not have been spectacular, but his hard running, ‘no gree for anybody’ style and total commitment to the cause endeared him to millions of fans as the Super Eagles overachieved in Cote d’Ivoire.
He asserted himself in a Round of 16 clash against the robust-playing Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, before he again caught the eye with another solid shift in the heart of the midfield in the pulsating semifinal against South Africa.
He won the most tackles at the AFCON – 14.
Thus far he has made 25 appearances for Nigeria since his debut in a friendly against Algeria in October 2020.
His only goal for Nigeria was in 3-2 win over Mozambique in a friendly last year.
The athletic prowess of this 26-year-old midfielder will be vital in the Super Eagles engine room.
In the Premier League, he made 26 appearances, scored a goal and made an assist as his London club again stayed up in the English top league.
He carried on his AFCON form by scoring his first-ever Premier League goal in April, when he came off the bench to double Brentford lead at home against Sheffield United.
He has since been rewarded with a new contract that keeps him at Brentford till June 2027.
Not a bad achievement for the little boy who not long ago was playing on the dusty, reddish brown streets of Benin City.
