Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka has expressed his disappointment with being omitted from the Super Eagles’ 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifier against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, but remains hopeful for a future call-up.
The Augsburg midfielder was named in Eric Chelle’s 39-man provisional squad but was not selected in the final 23-man squad, with other midfielders including Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Alhassan Yusuf, Joseph Aribo, Alex Iwobi, and Papa Daniel picked ahead of him.
In an exclusive interview with sports Journalist Oma Akatugba, Onyeka shared his disappointment with being left out of the squad: ”I was quite sad about it but again the coach knows best, he knows what players he wants to use, but hopefully in the next couple of games, I’m always available so hopefully I’ll be with the team.”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali but were denied of another win against Zimbabwe after a late equaliser, leaving them fourth on the table with seven points, six points behind South Africa who sit first and one point behind Rwanda and Benin who sit second and third respectively.
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The results meant that Nigeria still face the disappointing prospect of missing out on the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. However, Onyeka expressed optimism, stating that there’s still the possibility to qualify.
”There’s still a chance for us, we just need to win our final four games then hopefully we can qualify,” he said.
Onyeka also reflected on his time in the Bundesliga, comparing it to his Premier League days: ”It’s good so far, it’s nice to come to the Bundesliga and experience the kind of football they play here so I’ll say it’s good.”
”I would say the tempo of the game is always back and forth but in the Premier League sometimes they try to calm the game. Both leagues have the quality but as I’ll say it’s back and forth in Germany.”
It remains uncertain if Onyeka will sign a permanent contract with Augsburg or return to his parent club Brentford. With his future uncertain, the midfielder will hope his performances have caught the eye of top European clubs who may be willing to invest in his services.
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