Coventry City midfielder, Frank Onyeka, has urged the Super Eagles to target victory in every game as they begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar.
Nigeria will welcome Madagascar to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Bissau to take on Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The Super Eagles have commenced preparations for the qualifiers under head coach, Éric Chelle, with Onyeka among the players involved in training.
The midfielder admitted that the failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was disappointing but said the team had moved on and was now focused on securing a place at next year’s AFCON.
“Just like every other match that we’ll be playing, we have to win every game. I know we’re quite disappointed not to qualify for the World Cup, but now we’re back. We have something to prepare for, which is the Afcon next year,” he told Ademola Victor TV.
Onyeka also stressed the need for Nigeria to capitalise on home advantage against Madagascar, insisting that the team would remain focused on its own performance rather than underestimate its opponents.
“So, I guess we’ll take every game as it comes, but for us, we want to win this game, especially when we’re playing on our own ground. We don’t underestimate anything.
“We focus only on ourselves. We don’t focus on the opponent. So, we have to play well to win. That’s what we are focusing on: to play well and win.”
Onyeka is included in Chelle’s 24-man squad for the opening qualifiers alongside midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika.
