Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen has heaped praise on Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika following his standout performance in their UEFA Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Despite Club Brugge’s 3-0 defeat, Onyedika’s display did not go unnoticed, with Hayen lauding his contribution both in and out of possession.
Speaking after the game as per VoetbalKrant, Hayen acknowledged Onyedika’s importance to the team, saying,
“I’m happy. Man of the match is an exaggeration, but if you see the impact he had… Both in possession and in loss of possession, he is a very important player for us at the moment. He makes other players better.”
Onyedika, who had 67 touches, four tackles, and two interceptions during the match, was one of the key players on the pitch for Brugge, with the 23-year-old Super Eagles midfielder ranking second for most touches in the game.
The match itself was tightly contested, with the first half ending goalless.
Borussia Dortmund broke the deadlock in the 76th minute through Jamie Gittens, who later added a second goal. Serhou Guirassy completed the scoring with a late penalty, ensuring a 3-0 victory for the German side.
Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin also acknowledged the Nigerian star’s influence, revealing that Dortmund’s game plan had been to stop Onyedika from dictating play.
“We knew that the club’s game was going through Raphael Onyedika, but we were unable to neutralise him,” Sahin admitted.
Onyedika has been a key player for Club Brugge since his arrival two seasons ago, and his performance against Dortmund further highlighted his potential.
The Nigeria international was close to leaving Brugge for Galatasaray in the summer but the two clubs could not agree on a transfer despite positive talks on the player’s end.