Onyeka: Nigeria prepared for Benin and South Africa

Nigeria’s resolve to resume their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign against South Africa and Benin next month has been made clear by Frank Onyeka.

Under Finidi George, the Super Eagles are hoping to start over following a dismal Group C campaign that saw them draw 1-1 with Zimbabwe and Lesotho twice.

After leading the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, Jose Peseiro took a leave of absence after overseeing the first two games. Assistant coach George was eventually appointed as his permanent replacement last month.

Onyeka, who was instrumental in the West African team’s run to the AFCON 2023 championship, thinks George’s hiring as head coach can only help the team and says they want to make apologies with the Cheetahs and Bafana Bafana.

In an interview, the Brentford midfielder told Nigerian journalist Tobi Adepoju, “He’s a good coach, good guy, he helped the players during the AFCON and now he’s been appointed as the coach, so I guess everyone is happy.”

Since it matters so much to us and the nation, we really must give that game—against South Africa—everything we have. We need to win our next two games because two points from two games is not good enough. We’ll give it our all and be prepared.

Gernot Rohr, who managed the national team for a record five years between 2016 and 2021 but is currently in charge of Benin, will be facing Nigeria.

Onyeka continued, “We know Gernot Rohr and it’s not going to be easy.” “Since the African teams are difficult to play against, we’ll go in with all seriousness in the hopes of winning.”