Augsburg manager Jess Thorup has vowed to put Frank Onyeka through additional shooting drills after the Nigerian midfielder missed a golden opportunity to seal victory in their goalless draw against RB Leipzig on Friday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
Thorup, clearly frustrated by the late miss, announced his decision to modify Nigeria midfielder Onyeka’s training programme in a bid to sharpen his finishing skills.
“The big chance to make it 1-0 was there,” Thorup said in his post-match press conference.
“I said to Frank and the team: I personally take responsibility for making deals with Frank next week so that he can do better.”
Frank Onyeka puts in a good midfield shift to help FC Augsburg earn a home German Bundesliga draw vs Leipzig.#FCARBL pic.twitter.com/hxLynPpepq
— EaglesTracker (@ETMediaNG) February 14, 2025
With the match finely poised at 0-0, Augsburg’s best chance arrived in the 82nd minute.
A well-worked move saw Kristijan Jakić find Dimitris Giannoulis on the left flank, and the Greek defender delivered a perfect cutback to Onyeka, who found himself unmarked in a central position just 11 yards out. However, the Nigerian fired his effort wide of the right post, letting Leipzig off the hook.
It was a moment that summed up Augsburg’s night — solid defensively but lacking the clinical edge in front of goal.
Goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, who kept a clean sheet with another impressive performance, admitted the missed opportunity left him feeling anxious.
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“I was a bit desperate at the back,” Dahmen said, reflecting on the key moment of the match.
Despite the frustration, Thorup chose to focus on the positives, highlighting Augsburg’s ability to go toe-to-toe with one of the Bundesliga’s strongest sides.
“If you say that after a game against Leipzig, we're on the right track,” the 54-year-old remarked. “A home win against a top-four team would have been possible today, and that shows how far we've come.”
Thorup and Frank Onyeka's special bond
Thorup’s commitment to improving Onyeka’s game comes from a long-standing relationship between the player and manager.
The duo first worked together at Danish side Midtjylland, where Thorup oversaw Onyeka’s transition from a raw talent arriving from Nigeria in 2018 to a key figure in the team.
Onyeka appreciation post pic.twitter.com/4Scwris3w3
— FC Augsburg (@FCA_World) January 27, 2025
After their time together in Denmark, their careers diverged—Thorup moved on to Gent, while Onyeka secured a transfer to Brentford in the Premier League.
However, when Onyeka struggled for minutes at Brentford last season, Thorup played a crucial role in bringing him to Augsburg on loan in the summer of 2024.
So far, the 26-year-old midfielder has made 19 Bundesliga appearances, contributing one assist but is yet to open his goal account. Thorup is determined to change that.
“In the next game, Onyeka will hopefully score in a similar situation,” he added.
While Augsburg might have been left ruing missed chances, the result extended their unbeaten streak to six matches.
Their next challenge will see them travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, 22nd February, where Onyeka will hope to make amends for his miss and finally find the net in Augsburg colours.
