Onyedika Confirmed in Super Eagles AFCON 2025 Squad by Club Brugge

Raphael Onyedika has been officially confirmed as a member of Super Eagles’ squad for the upcoming (AFCON 2025), as announced by his club Club Brugge. Although the national team’s head coach Eric Chelle has yet to release the final squad list officially, Club Brugge’s confirmation offers a strong hint that Onyedika will make the cut.

For Onyedika, this marks his second major tournament call-up he was also part of the Nigeria squad that reached the 2023 AFCON final, but only saw limited action.

This season at Club Brugge has seen him rack up more than 20 appearances, including involvement in the UEFA Champions League, while contributing with both goals and assists performances that arguably kept him on the radar for national selection.

Despite competition from the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka for midfield roles, Onyedika’s club form appears to have earned him renewed confidence from the Super Eagles setup.

Editorial

There are few certainties in modern selection rooms but sometimes a club’s public announcement provides a clarity that an over-cautious press release cannot. When Club Brugge confirmed Onyedika’s inclusion in Nigeria’s squad for AFCON, the message was unmistakable: a vote of faith grounded in performance.

Onyedika has not dazzled with showmanship he has steadily built a quiet competence in midfield positional sense, composure, the unflashy but crucial work between defense and attack. In a Super Eagles side often defined by flair and forward glitz, what Onyedika offers is the structural steel. That may not fill highlight reels but in tournaments like AFCON, that is often the difference between chaos and control.

This call-up could and perhaps should mark a turning point. Should he find minutes, there is a real chance he becomes the calm in the storm offering balance, discipline, and tactical maturity amid the emotional turbulence that tournaments invariably bring. For him, this is not a cameo it is a test of character. For Nigeria, it is a subtle but necessary recalibration youth and freshness, yes but grounded in reliability

In the beautiful chaos of African football, those who thrive are rarely the loudest. Often, they are the ones working in silence, ensuring the engine hums while others chase glory. Onyedika has earned his place. Now, it is up to him to prove that faith was not misplaced.

Did You Know?

1. Onyedika made his senior debut for the Super Eagles in 2022, and has since accumulated multiple caps gradually shifting from a fringe option to a serious midfield contender under the national setup.
2. In the current 2025/26 season, Onyedika has played over 20 matches for Club Brugge across domestic league and European competition a level of match sharpness that likely influenced his AFCON recall.
3. Despite stiff competition in midfield from seasoned internationals like Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka, Onyedika’s versatility able to operate both defensively and in more advanced midfield roles gives him an edge when the coach wants balance.
4. Onyedika was part of the Super Eagles squad that reached the final of the 2023 AFCON. Though limited in minutes then, the experience of a continental final could prove invaluable in guiding him through the pressures of AFCON 2025.
5. Club Brugge’s public confirmation of Onyedika’s inclusion in the AFCON squad came even before the official list from the national association a rare show of institutional transparency that adds weight to the certainty of his selection.