Raphael Onyedika
 Onyedika in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Raphael Onyedika Nwadike | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 April 2001 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Imo State, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Club Brugge | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Ebedei | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Midtjylland | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Midtjylland | 37 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Fredericia (loan) | 28 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Club Brugge | 77 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Nigeria | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:16, 15 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:18, 11 October 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Raphael Onyedika Nwadike MON (// ; born 19 April 2001) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club Club Brugge and the Nigeria national team.
Club career
[edit]Midtjylland
[edit]Onyedika used to play street football before joining Nigerian club F.C. Ebedei's academy at the age of 15.[1] After three years in Ebedei, Onyedika joined the academy of FC Midtjylland in Denmark, an affiliate club to FC Ebedei, shortly after his 18th birthday.
In his first full season in FC Midtjylland, he impressed in the U19 League and in the UEFA Youth League with his physique, speed and playing style. On 1 July 2020, he signed his first five-year professional contract with the club until June 2025.[2] To gain more experience, Onyedika was loaned out to Midtjylland's affiliate club, Danish 1st Division-side FC Fredericia, on 19 August 2020 for the whole 2020–21 season.[3] Onyedika did well on his loan spell, playing 28 games and scoring three goals. The season went well enough for the Nigerian to be named in TV3 Sport's team of the year in the Danish 1st Division.
Onyedika returned to Midtjylland in the summer 2021 and was promoted to the first team squad.[4] He got his official debut for Midtjylland on 16 July 2021 against Odense Boldklub, the first game of the 2021–22 Danish Superliga, where he was in the starting line-up and played the whole game.[5]
Club Brugge
[edit]On 28 August 2022, Onyedika signed a five-year contract with Club Brugge in Belgium.[6]
International career
[edit]In September 2022, Raphael Onedika was first called up with the Nigeria national team by coach José Peseiro.[7] He honours his first selection at this gathering on 27 September 2022 in a friendly match against Algeria. He came into play in place of Frank Onyeka in this match lost by the Nigerians (2-1 final score).
On 29 December 2023, he was selected in the list of 25 Nigerian players selected by José Peseiro to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 15 December 2024
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Midtjylland | 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 31 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 11[a] | 1 | — | 48 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 37 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 4 | ||
| Fredericia (loan) | 2020–21 | Danish 1st Division | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| Club Brugge | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 17[c] | 1 | — | 49 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Total | 77 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 142 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 198 | 12 | ||
- ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Conference League
- ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- ^ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
International
[edit]- As of match played 11 October 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Raphael Onyedika goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2024 | Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Nigeria | 1 |  Benin |
0–1 | 1–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
[edit]Club Brugge
Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2023[8]
Individual
Orders
Member of the Order of the Niger[9]
References
[edit]- ^ RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA OM DANMARK OG OVERGANGEN TIL SENIORFODBOLD, fcm.dk, 6 July 2021
- ^ FCM binder talentfuld nigerianer til 2025, bold.dk, 1 July 2020
- ^ FC Fredericia tilknytter endnu en spiller fra FC Midtjylland, frdb.dk, 19 August 2020
- ^ FCM rykker seks talenter op på førsteholdet, bold.dk, 18 June 2021
- ^ MIDTJYLLAND VS. OB 1 – 2, Soccerway, 16 July 2021
- ^ "CLUB BRUGGE LANDS RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA". Club Brugge. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Club Brugge Celebrate Onyedika's First Call-up To Super Eagles". www.completesports.com. 18 September 2022.
- ^ Stevens, Rob (11 February 2024). "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Afcon: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours". BBC News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Raphael Onyedika at the Club Brugge KN website
- Raphael Onyedika at Soccerway
 | ||
- Living people
- 2001 births
- Footballers from Imo State
- Nigerian men's footballers
- Nigeria men's international footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Danish Superliga players
- Danish 1st Division players
- Belgian Pro League players
- F.C. Ebedei players
- FC Midtjylland players
- FC Fredericia players
- Club Brugge KV players
- Nigerian expatriate men's footballers
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark
- Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
- Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- 2023 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Members of the Order of the Niger
- 21st-century Nigerian sportsmen