News

“He makes others better” – Club Brugge boss hails Super Eagles star after Dortmund struggled to ‘neutralise’ him

Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen has heaped praise on Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika following his standout performance in their UEFA Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.

Despite Club Brugge’s 3-0 defeat, Onyedika’s display did not go unnoticed, with Hayen lauding his contribution both in and out of possession.

Speaking after the game as per VoetbalKrant, Hayen acknowledged Onyedika’s importance to the team, saying,

“I’m happy. Man of the match is an exaggeration, but if you see the impact he had… Both in possession and in loss of possession, he is a very important player for us at the moment. He makes other players better.”

Onyedika, who had 67 touches, four tackles, and two interceptions during the match, was one of the key players on the pitch for Brugge, with the 23-year-old Super Eagles midfielder ranking second for most touches in the game.

The match itself was tightly contested, with the first half ending goalless.

Borussia Dortmund broke the deadlock in the 76th minute through Jamie Gittens, who later added a second goal. Serhou Guirassy completed the scoring with a late penalty, ensuring a 3-0 victory for the German side.

Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin also acknowledged the Nigerian star’s influence, revealing that Dortmund’s game plan had been to stop Onyedika from dictating play.

“We knew that the club’s game was going through Raphael Onyedika, but we were unable to neutralise him,” Sahin admitted.

Onyedika has been a key player for Club Brugge since his arrival two seasons ago, and his performance against Dortmund further highlighted his potential.

The Nigeria international was close to leaving Brugge for Galatasaray in the summer but the two clubs could not agree on a transfer despite positive talks on the player’s end.

Imhons Erons

Share
Published by
Imhons Erons

Recent Posts

18-year-old Lagos-born forward seals victory for Monaco over Barcelona

Lagos-born forward George Ilenikhena made an electrifying debut for AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions… Read More

28 mins ago

From 30 naira football nights to UCL debut – Says Victor Boniface after Leverkusen win

Super Eagles forward, Victor Boniface, reflected on his incredible journey after making his UEFA Champions… Read More

1 hour ago

Victor Osimhen’s playful banter with Kenneth Omeruo delights Galatasaray fans ahead of Fenerbahce clash

Galatasaray’s star striker Victor Osimhen engaged in some playful banter with his Super Eagles teammate… Read More

5 hours ago

“We can have a great season”- Super Eagles hopeful begs Montpellier fans after rough start to Ligue 1 campaign

Nigerian striker Akor Adam's has appealed to Montpellier fans to keep faith in the team… Read More

7 hours ago

Nigeria’s Super Eagles stay ahead of South Africa and Ghana in new FIFA ranking

Nigeria men's national team has maintained their position at 39th in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola… Read More

8 hours ago

Official: Nigerian teenager Joel Yakubu joins Czech club Slovan Liberec from Abuja’s Mahanaim FC

Young Nigerian midfielder Joel Yakubu has completed a move to Czech Republic Premier League club,… Read More

8 hours ago