Raphael Onyedika
Nigerian footballer (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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Onyedika with Nigeria in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Raphael Onyedika Nwadike | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 April 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | 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 | 125 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Nigeria | 26 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:21, 17 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:10, 10 June 2026 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
Midtjylland
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
On 28 August 2022, Onyedika signed a five-year contract with Club Brugge in Belgium.[6]
International career
In September 2022, Raphael Onyedika 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.
On 11 December 2025, Onyedika was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[8]
Style of play
Raphael Onyedika is primarily a defensive midfielder, known for his physical strength, ball-winning ability, and tactical discipline. He excels at breaking up opposition play through interceptions and well-timed tackles, while also possessing the composure to retain possession under pressure. His athleticism allows him to cover ground quickly, and he often serves as a shield in front of the defense.[9][10]
Onyedika also contributes to progressive build-up play, demonstrating good passing range and the ability to carry the ball forward. His style has drawn comparisons to classic holding midfielders, combining defensive solidity with transitional play.[11][12]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | 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[b] | 1 | — | 48 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 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[c] | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 17[d] | 1 | — | 49 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 34 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 10[c] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 52 | 2 | |
| 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10[c] | 2 | 1[e] | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
| Total | 125 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 45 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 183 | 9 | ||
| Career total | 190 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 59 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 268 | 16 | ||
- Includes Danish Cup, Belgian Cup
- Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Conference League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
International
- As of match played 10 June 2026[13]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Onyedika goal.[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2024 | Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Nigeria | 9 |  Benin | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 30 December 2025 | Fez Stadium, Fez, Morocco | 19 |  Uganda | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 3–0 |
Honours
FC Midtjylland
Club Brugge
Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2023;[14] third place: 2025[15]
Individual
Orders
Member of the Order of the Niger[16]
