Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika has been handed a key role for the Super Eagles when they take on Rwanda on Friday in the 2026 world cup qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.
New coach of the Nigerian team Eric Chelle will be in charge of the team for the first time in Friday’s game, and has already mapped out how the team will play as they go in search of their first win after four games in the qualifiers.
Part of the idea of the new man is to have the team play a possession based football with high pressing from two midfielders higher up the pitch , while a lone defensive midfielder sits and dictate play from deep. That role is said to be for Onyedika.
Chelle watched him interpret the role to perfection playing in the UEFA Champions League for Club Brugge, and he has decided to hand him the same responsibility against Rwanda.
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It looks like the duo of Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi will be the left sided and right sided midfielders respectively, playing very close to the wingers in Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman. They are expected to create an overload with top striker Osimhen in the box when the team attacks.
In defence, a back four of Ola Aina, Bruno Onyemaechi, William Troost-Ekong and Calvin Bassey will sit just in front of Stanley Nwabali who is expected to keep his spot as first choice goalkeeper.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
