{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 2001)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Raphael Onyedika |image = 0K8A7853 (53451306071) (cropped).jpg |image_size = |caption = Onyedika with Nigeria in 2023 |full_name = Raphael Onyedika Nwadike |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|4|19|df=y}} |birth_place = Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria |height = 1.84 m |position = Midfielder |currentclub = Club Brugge |clubnumber = 15 |youthyears1 = 2016–2019 |youthclubs1 = Ebedei |youthyears2 = 2019–2020 |youthclubs2 = Midtjylland |years1 = 2020–2022 |clubs1 = Midtjylland |caps1 = 37 |goals1 = 2 |years2 = 2020–2021 |clubs2 = → Fredericia (loan) |caps2 = 28 |goals2 = 3 |years3 = 2022– |clubs3 = Club Brugge |caps3 = 125 |goals3 = 5 |nationalyears1 = 2022– |nationalteam1 = Nigeria |nationalcaps1 = 24 |nationalgoals1 = 3 |medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's football}} {{medal|Country|{{fb|NGA}}}} {{Medal|Comp|Africa Cup of Nations|}} {{Medal|RU|2023 Ivory Coast|}} {{Medal|3rd|2025 Morocco|}} |pcupdate = 23:21, 17 May 2026 (UTC) |ntupdate = 23:10, 31 March 2026 (UTC) }}
'''Raphael Onyedika Nwadike {{post-nominals|country=NGA|MON|post-noms=}}''' ({{IPAc-en||audio=Ig-Raphael Onyedika Nwadike.ogg}}; born 19 April 2001) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club Club Brugge and the Nigeria national team.
==Club career== ===Midtjylland=== Onyedika used to play street football before joining Nigerian club F.C. Ebedei's academy at the age of 15.<ref>[https://www.fcm.dk/nyheder/raphael-onyedika-om-danmark-og-overgangen-til-seniorfodbold/ RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA OM DANMARK OG OVERGANGEN TIL SENIORFODBOLD], fcm.dk, 6 July 2021</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/fcm-binder-talentfuld-nigerianer-til-2025/ FCM binder talentfuld nigerianer til 2025], bold.dk, 1 July 2020</ref> 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.<ref>[https://frdb.dk/artikel/fc-fredericia-tilknytter-endnu-en-spiller-fra-fc-midtjylland FC Fredericia tilknytter endnu en spiller fra FC Midtjylland], frdb.dk, 19 August 2020</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/fcm-rykker-seks-talenter-op-paa-foersteholdet/ FCM rykker seks talenter op på førsteholdet], bold.dk, 18 June 2021</ref> 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.<ref>[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/07/16/denmark/superliga/fc-midtjylland/odense-boldklub/3510668/ MIDTJYLLAND VS. OB 1 – 2], Soccerway, 16 July 2021</ref>
===Club Brugge=== On 28 August 2022, Onyedika signed a five-year contract with Club Brugge in Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Club Brugge|url=https://www.clubbrugge.be/en/news/club-brugge-lands-raphael-onyedika|title=CLUB BRUGGE LANDS RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA|date=28 August 2022|access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref>
==International career== In September 2022, Raphael Onyedika was first called up with the Nigeria national team by coach José Peseiro.<ref>{{Cite news|date=18 September 2022|language=en|title=Club Brugge Celebrate Onyedika's First Call-up To Super Eagles|url=https://www.completesports.com/club-brugge-celebrate-onyedikas-first-call-up-to-super-eagles/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|newspaper=Complete Sports}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/afcon2025/news/nigeria-name-star-packed-afcon-squad-as-osimhen-and-lookman-lead-super-eagles-challenge/|title=Nigeria name star-packed AFCON squad as Osimhen and Lookman lead Super Eagles challenge|publisher=Confederation of African Football|date=11 December 2025|access-date=12 December 2025}}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nigeria |first=Guardian |date=2026-01-02 |title=Osimhen: ‘Onyedika is Nigeria’s most underrated player in Morocco’ |url=https://guardian.ng/sport/osimhen-onyedika-is-nigerias-most-underrated-player-in-morocco/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2026-01-04 |newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Silas |first=Don |date=2026-01-02 |title=AFCON: 'He's really talented' - Osimhen on Nigeria’s most underrated player |url=https://dailypost.ng/2026/01/02/afcon-hes-really-talented-osimhen-on-nigerias-most-underrated-player/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2026-01-04 |newspaper=Daily Post|language=en-US}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sports |first=Pulse |date=2026-01-02 |title=AFCON 2025: Onyedika, Chukwueze star in Group Stage Round 3 Best XI |url=https://www.pulsesports.ng/afcon-2025/story/afcon-2025-onyedika-chukwueze-star-in-group-stage-round-3-best-xi-2026010209562760206 |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Pulse Sports Nigeria |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mr |first=Score Nigeria |date=2026-01-01 |title=Onyedika selected for AFCON Best XI |url=https://scorenigeria.com.ng/onyedika-selected-for-afcon-best-xi/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Score Nigeria |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 17 May 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Danish Cup, Belgian Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="4"|Midtjylland |2020–21 |Danish Superliga |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2021–22 |Danish Superliga |31||2||6||1||11{{efn|Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Conference League}}||1||colspan="2"|—||48||4 |- |2022–23 |Danish Superliga |6||0||0||0||3{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !37!!2!!6!!1!!14!!1!!0!!0!!57!!4 |- |Fredericia (loan) |2020–21 |Danish 1st Division |28||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||28||3 |- |rowspan="5"|Club Brugge |2022–23 |Belgian Pro League |31||0||2||0||7{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||colspan="2"|—||40||0 |- |2023–24 |Belgian Pro League |30||3||2||0||17{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}}||1||colspan="2"|—||49||4 |- |2024–25 |Belgian Pro League |34||1||6||0||10{{efn|name=UCL}}||1||1{{efn|name=BSC|Appearance in Belgian Super Cup}}||0||52||2 |- |2025–26 |Belgian Pro League |30||1||1||0||10{{efn|name=UCL}}||2||1{{efn|name=BSC}}||0||42||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !125!!5!!11!!0!!45!!4!!2!!0!!183!!9 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !190!!10!!17!!1!!59!!5!!2!!0!!268!!16 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|match played 31 March 2026}}<ref name="NFT">{{NFT player}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="5"|Nigeria |2022||1||0 |- |2023||2||0 |- |2024||11||1 |- |2025||5||2 |- |2026||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!24!!3 |}
:''Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Onyedika goal.''<ref name="NFT"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Raphael Onyedika !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Cap !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- |align="center"|1 |10 June 2024||Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Nigeria||align="center"|9||{{fb|BEN}}||align="center"|1–0||align="center"|2–1||2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |- |align="center"|2 |rowspan="2"|30 December 2025||rowspan="2"|Fez Stadium, Fez, Morocco||align="center" rowspan="2"|19||rowspan="2"|{{fb|UGA}}||align="center"|2–0||align="center" rowspan="2"|3–1||rowspan="2"|2025 Africa Cup of Nations |- |align="center"|3 |align="center"|3–0 |}
== Honours == '''FC Midtjylland''' *Danish Superliga: 2019-20 *Danish Cup: 2021–22
'''Club Brugge''' *Belgian Pro League: 2023–24, 2025–26 *Belgian Cup: 2024–25 *Belgian Super Cup: 2025
'''Nigeria''' * Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2023;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Rob |date=11 February 2024 |title=Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68196261 |access-date=12 February 2024 |website=BBC Sport}}</ref> third place: 2025<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Rob |date=17 January 2026 |title=Afcon 2025: Egypt 0-0 Nigeria (2-4 pens) - Super Eagles finish third |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/cpqyvje5de8t |access-date=20 January 2026 |website=BBC Sport |language=}}</ref>
'''Individual''' * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20240701232231/https://eaglestrackerng.com/blogs/eaglestracker-awards/2024-day-one EaglesTracker Midfielder of the Season]}}: 2023–24
'''Orders''' * 60x60px Member of the Order of the Niger<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-13 |title=Afcon: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68286543 |access-date=2024-02-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *[https://www.clubbrugge.be/en/teams/a-kern/players/raphael-onyedika Raphael Onyedika] at the Club Brugge KN website *{{Soccerway|raphael-onyedika-nwadike/637146}}
{{Club Brugge KV squad}} {{Navboxes | title = Nigeria squads | bg = #008751 | fg = white | bordercolor = #00703C | list = {{Nigeria squad 2023 Africa Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria squad 2025 Africa Cup of Nations}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onyedika, Raphael}} Category:Living people Category:2001 births Category:Footballers from Imo State Category:Nigerian men's footballers Category:Nigeria men's international footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Danish Superliga players Category:Danish 1st Division players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:F.C. Ebedei players Category:FC Midtjylland players Category:FC Fredericia players Category:Club Brugge KV players Category:Nigerian expatriate men's footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Category:2023 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2025 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:Members of the Order of the Niger Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen