'I didn't know him before' - Frank Onyeka rates Papa Mustapha's performance in Unity Cup

Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka has praised Papa Mustapha after their impressive link-up during the Unity Cup, despite playing alongside the Niger Tornadoes star for the first time at the recently concluded tournament in London.

Onyeka and Mustapha both started in midfield as the Super Eagles earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ghana's Black Stars in their Unity Cup opener.

The Brentford midfielder returned to the Super Eagles fold after he was left out of the World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda's Wasps and Zimbabwe's Warriors back in March.

Onyeka emphasized his commitment to the Super Eagles despite being overlooked for the first competitive matches under Eric Chelle.

Speaking to Austin Okon Akpan, he said: "I am just trying to do my job for the team, I love to help the team as much as possible, so I just try to do my job to help the team."

Onyeka spoke highly of Mustapha, one of the standout players in the Nigeria Premier Football League.

Reflecting on their performance together against Ghana, he said: "It was good. I didn’t know him before, but playing with him was really great. He’s a good player."

With the Fifa World Cup qualifiers resuming in September, Onyeka also shed light on the squad’s preparations.

The Super Eagles are playing catch-up after six matchdays, trailing table-toppers South Africa by six points with four games remaining.

"We are just doing everything we can and training very hard preparing for the game in September. So hopefully by God's grace we will make it through."

Onyeka played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Ivory Coast, starting all seven matches as the Super Eagles reached the final.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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