Soccer
Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge. Copyright: Imago
Super Eagles defensive midfielder Raphael Onyedika played 90 minutes in Club Brugge’s 4-2 win over Anderlecht over the weekend, but the club coach Ivan Leko wasn’t too pleased with his performance, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Croatian manager was livid about how spent the 24-year-old looked against Jeremy Taravel’s men, and went further to air his displeasure in his post-match conference, a situation that didn’t go down well with club legend Marc Degryse.
Degryse played 235 games for Die Blau-Zweirt in his active days, scoring 107 goals and winning the Belgian Super Cup twice, the Belgian Cup once, and the Pro League once.
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Soccer Marc Degryse hits out at Club Brugge over Onyedika comments
The former FC Midtjylland midfielder was on the bench in Nigeria’s 2-1 win against Iran, but played 59 minutes in the 2-2 draw against Jordan, scoring a goal that was eventually chalked off due to an offside call.
It appeared the load of the International duty, alongside very little rest time, took its toll on Onyedika; hence, his performance against Anderlecht, along with some of his teammates were criticised by Leko.
“A team building here, a spa resort there. It must be nice to see your friends again, but once back, they call for an ambulance,” Leko said after the match in quotes revealed by Voetbal Primeur.
Degryse, weighing in on the Croatian’s comments, labelled his statements to be ‘unwise’, as things like these can break the dressing room.
“I honestly didn’t think his statements were wise. You don’t make friends with this,” the 60-year-old wrote in his column for Het Laatste Nieuws.
“What would coach Rudi Garcia [Belgium NT coach] and sporting director Vincent Mannaert think if they saw Leko’s statements? Or the coaches of other national teams? Those men are not amateurs either.
“In addition, the core of Leko is large and strong enough to draw a 3-0 lead over the line without any problems,” the ex-Sheffield Wednesday man concluded.
Club Brugge are just a point behind league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise, and with seven league games left to play, Onyedika’s chances of clinching silverware are very high.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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