The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Onyekuru

  • Onyekuru may return to Turkey with Gaziantep

    Onyekuru may return to Turkey with Gaziantep

    Super Eagles forward Henry Onyekuru is now studying an offer by Turkish club Gaziantep FK.

    According to Ajansspor, Gaziantep want to bring Onyekuru back to Turkey, where he has previously played for Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor.

    Onyekuru still has a year left on his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Feyha.

    He has asked his Turkish suitors to give him some time to consider their proposal.

    He has scored 28 goals and made 14 assists in 83 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig.

    Meanwhile, Trabzonspor have disclosed to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) how much Anthony Nwakaeme will be paid for the two seasons he will play on his return to the Turkish club.

    Trabzonspor reported that Nwakaeme, 35, is guaranteed an annual salary of 1,575,000 Euros as well as a signing-on fee of 500,000 Euros.

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    He will also be entitled to 2.9% of his gross salary as management service fee.

    This is what the striker will be paid each year.

    He rejoined Trabzonspor as a free agent after the expiry of his contract in Saudi Arabia.

    He was cult hero in his first spell at the Turkish Super Lig club, helping them to win the championship four years ago.

  • Red-hot Onyekuru fires goal No 11

    Red-hot Onyekuru fires goal No 11

    Henry Onyekuru has continued his superb form after he scored his 11th goal of the season for his Saudi Arabian Professional League side Al Feyha in a 1-1 draw at home with Al Riyadh.

    Onyekuru opened the scoring for the hosts on the hour mark for his 10th goal in the league.

    He has also scored a goal in the Asian Champions League.

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    The former Everton star has played for Monaco (France), Olympiacos (Greece), AS Eupen (Belgium), Galatasaray, Adana Demirspor (both in Turkey) and Anderlecht (Belgium).

  • Onyekuru throws weight behind Inter Lagos

    Onyekuru throws weight behind Inter Lagos

    • Opeyemi Samuel

    Nigeria international  Henry Onyekuru recently showed his support to  players of Inter Lagos FC as h doled out hefty match bonus to the team after watching them claim victory over Gateway United and as a reward for the player’s endeavours, doled out a healthy match bonus. 

    Onyekuru’s visit gave  a stamp of approval to management of Inter Lagos, having only launched in the last quarter of 2023. Since then, the club has been competing in the Nigerian National League (NNL) and currently sits joint top of Group B.

    Read Also: UECL: Onyekuru to miss Demirspor clash against Cluj

    In a separate development, Inter Lagos FC, affectionately known as “The Pride of Lagos,” is poised to set a new standard in football excellence as it gears up to unveil its dynamic vision in an exclusive media launch event. 

    Lanre Vigo, co-founder and CEO of Inter Lagos, explained:  “Formally launching now is not just about unveiling our club to the public; it’s about showcasing the culmination of our dedicated efforts in establishing the internal structures essential for our success. The event on Wednesday will mark the convergence of our vision, passion, and readiness to embrace the world stage, conquering one hurdle at a time. We believe it’s the perfect time to invite our community and fans to join us on this exhilarating journey towards greatness.”

    Vigo, one of the founders of l Plug Sports, an athlete management company, has a storied history of talent management of national and global sport stars including Asisat Oshoala,  Onyekuru, Tobi Amusan, Uchenna Kanu, Michelle Alozie and recently signed MMA star Israel Adesanya.

  • Onyekuru omitted in Galatasaray’s 3-1 win

    Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru was omitted from the Galatasaray squad that beat Kayserispor 3-1 in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday evening.

    The Everton loanee had to be dropped from the matchday 18 because he received a one-match ban as punishment for having accumulated four yellow cards.

    Onyekeru saw his first yellow card of the season against Kayserispor on November 10, was booked against Kasimpasa in February, before he was cautioned against Bursaspor (March 17) and Fenerbahce (April 14), which triggered a one-game ban.

    The left winger should be available for selection when Galatasaray travel to Konyaspor for their next league game on Monday, April 29.

    In 37 outings across all competitions this term, Onyekuru has been directly involved in 15 goals (12 goals, 3 assists).

    He is expected to link up with the Nigeria National Team at their training camp in Asaba in the first week of June ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

  • Ighalo, Onyekuru, Simon on target

    The Super Eagles defeated the Pirates of Seychelles 3-1 in their final qualifying match of the 2019 African Cup of Nations played yesterday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State.

    Goals from Odion Ighalo, Henry Onyekuru and substitute Moses Simon helped the Nigerian team defeat the underdogs in yesterday’s clash.

    Being well-placed at the top of the log, Gernot Rohr’s men came into the clash as huge favourites but showed less than what was expected of them in the first 45 minutes of the game.

    Odion Ighalo scored the opener for the Eagles via a spot kick in the 35th minute after Wilfred Ndidi was brought down in the Seychelles box.

    The Pirates then benefitted from a howler from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Francis Uzoho who failed to effectively punch a cross, to snatch an equaliser through Rody Melanie’s strike in the 41st minute.

    Read also: Season of harvest for Super Eagles and company!

    The Eagles came back better in the second-half and just five minutes after the restart, went into the lead through a header from Henry Onyekuru. The Galatasaray forward nodded into the net from a Jamilu Collins cross to send his effort past the Seychelles goalkeeper from close range.

    Moses Simon, who was introduced late in the second period, put the icing in the cake for the Eagles with a pin point strike in the box on the stroke of 90 minutes. The winger picked up a pass from Collins, twisted and turned, before blasting in at the near post for the Eagles third.

    Nigeria thus finish Group E as winners with an unassailable 13 points regardless of the outcome of Monday’s game between group mates Libya and South Africa.

    The Eagles will now have their attention turned to an international friendly against AFCON hosts Egypt on Tuesday.

  • Onyekuru trains again

    Super Eagles’ and Galatasaray of Turkey forward, Henry Onyekuru has returned to light training in time for his side’s clash away at Yeni Melatyaspor on Saturday, AOIFootball.com can authoritatively report.

    The 21-year-old has been forced to sit out Galatasaray’s last two games after sustaining a hamstring injury prior to last Friday’s league clash at home to Bursaspor.

    The Everton loanee was, however, pictured training on Thursday alone as they prepared for their weekend league action following their not too impressive goalless draw against Schalke in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

    Coach Fathi Terim will be desperate to have the Nigerian back with his side struggling to win a game in his absence as they hope to build on their solid start to the league campaign.

    Onyekuru had featured in 10 matches for Galatasaray this term in all competitions, starting seven of those games and scoring twice.

  • Galatasaray vs Bursaspor: Onyekuru sure of 100 per cent home form

    Ahead of their Match Day 9 clash at home to Bursaspor, Super Eagles and Galatasaray forward, Henry Onyekuru believes they can continue their impressive home form as they seek to consolidate their lead at the top of the table, in the Turkish Super League AOIFootball.com reports.

    With Galatasaray top of the league after eight matches, the Everton loanee admits the international break will not affect the team ahead of the clash.

    “Every game for us is crucial because we want to always win as many matches as possible to boost our position on the table. We know the importance of the game so we will try and win it for our fans. I think winning the game will help boost our confidence ahead of our Champion’s League game on Wednesday, so we will go all out for the three points,” Onyekuru concluded.

    Galatasaray who are yet to taste defeat at home in all competition come into the game in the first position with 18 points while Bursaspor is 14th on the log with eight points.

  • I’m ready to play on the flanks, says Onyekuru

    Super Eagles’ forward, Henry Onyekuru has declared that he is ready to line up on both sides of the flanks for Galatasaray and Nigeria after impressing on the wings for the Turkish champions last weekend, AOIFootball.com reports.

    The pacey attacker told AOIFootball.com exclusively from his base in Turkey, that playing on the flanks gives him more opportunity to express himself better and also create more scoring chances for his teammates.

    “I grew up playing as a centre-forward, but I have also learnt to adapt by playing on the flanks and I believe I can also succeed playing in that position. I played there last weekend and mostly featured in that position during preseason, so I can easily adapt to it.

    “I believe I can also thrive playing for Nigeria on the flanks but for now, getting an invitation and allowing the coach decide where suits me remains my aim,” Onyekuru said.

    The Everton loanee as so far impressed on the wings after two league matches, averaging a game rating of 7.15, completing 73% of his passes and 100% dribbles. He has also won 7 duels contested, contributing four key passes and making 2 key interceptions.

    His form on the flanks could offer Eagles’ gaffer Gernot Rohr a perfect option for the retired Victor Moses ahead of next month’s AFCON qualifiers against Seychelles.

  • Onyekuru to decide future after World Cup

    Super Eagles’ striker, Henry Onyekuru has played down suggestions linking him to a move to German Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, saying he just wants to focus on a good summer and return to Everton, AOIFootball.com reports.

    The attacker, who was overlooked by Super Eagles’ manager, Gernot Rohr in his 30-man provisional World Cup squad despite returning from injury, told AOIFootball.com exclusively that he will carefully look at his options before deciding on the club to join next season.

    “I saw the news that I was going to Germany; well, for now, those are just speculations because Everton had hoped that I would go to the World Cup so I can secure a work permit to play in the league next season. But as it stands now, I will look for another club to join on loan.

    “There are a lot of offers for me in the Bundesliga, Premier League, and LaLiga but I want to wait till after the World Cup before deciding. I will not return to Anderlecht again,” Onyekuru added.

    The former Eupen striker further added that he will be throwing all his weight behind the Super Eagles as he prays the team will surprise the world in Russia.

    Onyekuru scored 10 goals for Anderlecht before his injury in December. Despite returning to full fitness over five weeks ago, the former league champions failed to feature the player owing to recently strained relationship.

  • Onyekuru plays first game unhurt

    Nigeria national-teamer Henry Onyekuru has emerged unscathed from his first game after returning to training and this will certainly be good news for manager Gernot Rohr.

    After a long rehabilitation, the Everton loanee played the last thirty minutes for Anderlecht Reserves in their 4-1 win against Lokeren in the Reserve Pro League on Tuesday night.

    Though Henry did not get on the score-sheet, he showed he has not lost his pace and was involved in the build up to the fourth goal scored by Nelson Azevedo Janelas.

    Emilio Ferrera’s boys responded to falling behind by scoring through Milan Corryn and Osman Bukari before their Nigerian striker helped to increase their lead.

    Henry hopes to be included in Nigeria’s World Cup squad list but the tournament might come too soon for the former Eupen teen sensation.

    As a result of a serious knee injury he suffered at the end of last year in a Belgian First Division A clash against his former club, the striker has not featured in a competitive match for Anderlecht and for that level of competition as the World Cup he will not be in tip-top condition.