Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba has delivered a stinging verdict on Frank Onyeka’s deadline-day transfer, branding the midfielder’s move from the Premier League to the Championship as a significant career misstep.
The “Prince of Monaco” did not mince words when analyzing the trajectory of the Nigerian international, insisting that a player of Onyeka’s pedigree belongs amongst Europe’s elite, not in the second tier of English football.
The Move: From The Bees to The Sky Blues
Frank Onyeka, often hailed as the engine room of the Super Eagles, finalized a loan switch from Brentford to Championship promotion-chasers Coventry City in the final hours of the January window.
The deal structure suggests a permanent severance of ties with the Premier League side:
Terms: Loan until the end of the season.
Clause: Includes an obligation to buy, contingent on Coventry securing promotion to the Premier League.
While the move guarantees playing time—something Onyeka struggled for at the Gtech Community Stadium with only six substitute league appearances this season—Ikpeba contends the destination lacks the prestige required for a player currently in his prime.
Speaking on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football, Ikpeba expressed visible frustration. He contrasted Onyeka’s club struggles with his stellar performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the midfielder was instrumental in Nigeria’s bronze-medal campaign.
For Ikpeba, Onyeka’s stock was high enough to demand a move to a top-tier division in France, Italy, or Spain, rather than dropping down to the English Championship.
“These things happen in football when you don’t have enough playing time. He is a top player, gives everything, even the few times we’ve seen him playing for Brentford.
“It’s not nice for him to go down a step lower, the Championship. If he had gone to a Premier League club in England, it would have been great, or go somewhere in France, Serie A, La Liga, or a first division side. It’s very unfortunate.”
Ikpeba, whose illustrious 16-year career saw him grace the pitches of Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco, used his own history as a yardstick for what is expected of Nigeria’s top talents. He emphasized that during his peak years, the second division was never an option he entertained.
Ikpeba’s stance is clear: The Championship, regardless of its competitive nature, is a step backward for a current Super Eagles starter.
“I never played in the lower league throughout my 15-year, 16-year career,” Ikpeba asserted. “I never dreamt of the opportunity of playing in the second division. I had the opportunity to play in the second division towards the end of my career.”
While Ikpeba views the move with disdain, Onyeka’s camp likely views this as a strategic reset. At Coventry, Onyeka is expected to be a marquee player, trading the Brentford bench for regular starts. However, the pressure is now on the midfielder to prove his legendary predecessor wrong by dragging Coventry City back to the promised land of the Premier League.
