Frank Onyeka

Ogochukwu Frank Onyeka (born 1 January 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club FC Augsburg, on loan from club Brentford, and the Nigeria national team.

Early life and career

Onyeka was born on 1 January 1998 in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, the second oldest of five siblings. He has stated that his mother was not supportive of him playing football early on: "She wanted us to study, because the opportunity of becoming a football player at that point was slim. She would rather I went to school than play football."

Aged 15, while playing for local club Faith Motors Academy, he was noticed by Churchill Oliseh, owner and manager of FC Ebedei—a club with ties to Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga—and the man credited for discovering Nigerian international Obafemi Martins. Before joining FC Ebedei, Onyeka supported his family by doing roofing work. His move to Ebedei, located in Sagamu, Ogun State, more than 250 kilometers from Benin City, was the first time he was away from home, and required significant adjustments. Despite the distance and his prior responsibilities, Onyeka remained committed to pursuing his dreams, something he later recognised as instrumental in developing a resilient mindset.

Club career

Midtjylland

After moving from Nigerian club FC Ebedei to cooperation club FC Midtjylland in Denmark in January 2016, Onyeka established himself as part of the club, and on 20 September 2017 he made his first-team debut in the Danish Cup in a 7–0 win over Greve Fodbold where he also scored. Onyeka went on to make his Danish Superliga debut for the club a few months later in the club's 2017–18 campaign in a match against AC Horsens on 9 February 2018. There, he also scored, and was a key part in the 2–0 win. Onyeka distinguished himself again in the next fixture, on 18 February, against the leading Superliga team from FC Copenhagen, where he scored his second league goal for the club at the right winger position as Midtjylland beat the capital side 3–1. He was subsequently praised by head coach Jess Thorup for his positional versatility and maturity.

Onyeka made his UEFA Champions League debut in the following season, in Midtjylland's qualifier against Astana FC on 24 July 2018.

Brentford

Onyeka signed for newly promoted Premier League side Brentford on 20 July 2021 for an undisclosed fee. He made his competitive debut for the club on 13 August, the first matchday of the season, starting in a 2–0 victory against Arsenal; the ''Bees first ever Premier League win.

During his first seasons at Brentford, he grappled with securing a regular spot in the first team, often sidelined by injuries, and primarily featuring as a substitute. On 7 August 2023, he signed a new four-year contract, keeping him in west London until 2027. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 April 2024, helping Brentford to a 2–0 league win over Sheffield United to claim their first win in 10 consecutive Premier League games.

Loan to FC Augsburg

On 30 August 2024, Onyeka signed for Bundesliga club FC Augsburg on a season-long loan.

International career

Onyeka received his first call-up for the Nigeria national team on 22 September 2020 for the friendly matches against Algeria and Tunisia in Austria on 5 and 9 October 2020, respectively. He made his debut for the national team in a friendly 1–0 loss to Algeria on 9 October 2020. He scored his first goal for his country on 16 October 2023, in a 3–2 win over Mozambique.

Onyeka was a part of the Nigerian team that emerged runners-up at the 2023 African Cup of Nations. During the tournament, he started all seven of Nigeria's games.

Personal life

Onyeka was born and bred in Benin City. He is nicknamed "The Tank".

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Onyeka goal.''

Honours

Midtjylland
* Danish Superliga: 2017–18, 2019–20
* Danish Cup: 2018–19
Nigeria
* Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2023
Orders
* Member of the Order of the Niger

References

External links

Frank Onyeka
at Brentford F.C.
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onyeka, Frank
1998 births
Living people
People from Maiduguri
Nigerian men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
F.C. Ebedei players
FC Midtjylland players
Brentford F.C. players
FC Augsburg players
Danish Superliga players
Premier League players
Bundesliga players
Nigeria men's international footballers
2021 Africa Cup of Nations players
2023 Africa Cup of Nations players
Members of the Order of the Niger
Nigerian expatriate men's footballers
Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark
Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany