Paul Onuachu has opened up about the sharp contrast between his personal high point this year and Nigeria’s disappointment in the race for next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing comparisons between his trophy-filled spell at Trabzonspor and the Super Eagles’ failure to book a place at the tournament.
Key takeaways
- Paul Onuachu linked Nigeria’s World Cup setback with his standout campaign in Turkey.
- He played a leading role as Trabzonspor won the Turkish Cup.
- Onuachu’s season at Trabzonspor brought major individual awards, including top scorer recognition and a goal-of-the-season honour.
- The striker said Nigeria’s quality remains strong and expects to demonstrate it in upcoming matches.
- Onuachu credited his return to Trabzonspor with a sense of unfinished business, aiming to deliver for the club, supporters and the city.
World Cup heartbreak meets a trophy-winning season
The Super Eagles forward reflected on what this season has meant for him, noting how difficult it feels that Nigeria will not reach the 2026 World Cup. Despite his own momentum, he acknowledged that the gap between club success and national-team disappointment is hard to ignore.
“It is sad we are not going to the World Cup because we have some world-class players,” Onuachu said. “But unfortunately, we are not going to be at this World Cup. But that is football.”
Still, the 32-year-old insisted he is not losing faith in Nigeria’s squad and believes the team can compete at a high level in the next round of international fixtures.
“We have the quality to play anytime in the world, and hopefully we are going to show it against Portugal,” he added.
Back at Trabzonspor, Onuachu says the mission was personal
Onuachu also spoke about his club return to Trabzonspor, where he had previously impressed during a loan spell and where he felt expectations were always demanding. He described the season as a collective success built on hard work and quality throughout the squad.
“We had a great season, coupled with the quality of the players we have,” he said. “We really worked hard to compete against the rest of the top teams.”
According to the striker, his decision to come back was influenced by a feeling that there was unfinished business. He suggested that lifting the Turkish Cup was a major step toward settling what he owed to the club, the people who support it, and the city itself.
“Winning the Cup was a great feeling for the club, players, fans, and the city,” he said. “Even before I signed, I knew what the fans and the city wanted, and with hard work, I knew everything was going to work out.”
Onuachu added that he expected to contribute goals from the moment he committed to the transfer, and that he had communicated that belief to the supporters when he returned to the club.
“I knew I was going to score some goals even before I made the transfer, and I told the fans that I was coming back stronger and better — that we had unfinished business having previously played there on loan. I think I fulfilled what I said before I signed for them.”
