Frank Onyeka says mental strength has become central to his approach as he navigates limited club opportunities and renewed ambition with the Super Eagles.
The 27-year-old has struggled to secure a regular starting place at Brentford under new manager Keith Andrews, following a loan spell with Augsburg last season. Although he featured regularly in Germany, Onyeka failed to score in 34 appearances across all competitions.
He explained that period encouraged him to work on his mental preparation, adopting mindfulness techniques to manage pressure.
“It’s good because if you’re stressed, you just try to be calm and relaxed as much as possible,” he said. “I try to do that every day, but most times I do it before games, just to prepare myself.”
Onyeka revealed that breathing exercises now form part of his matchday routine. “I do it in my room before I go to the stadium, and after the first half, I try to do a bit. I just focus on my breathing to make sure that I feel settled.”
Despite his club challenges, Onyeka delivered important goals for Nigeria during their World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring a 91st-minute winner against Benin before also netting in the play-off loss to DR Congo.
“I’ve been looking to get goals into my profile,” he said. “I always want to go forward, I want to score goals.”
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup remains a sore point, but Onyeka believes it can drive the team forward.
“It’s sad that we didn’t qualify for the next World Cup, with the talent that we have,” he added. “It’s a motivation for us to go into Afcon and win it and bring it back home.”
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