It’s not nice for him to drop down – Victor Ikpeba criticises Super Eagles january move

Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba has expressed strong reservations about Frank Onyeka’s loan move from Brentford to Coventry City, describing the transfer as a setback in the midfielder’s career.

Onyeka joined the Championship side on transfer deadline day in a deal that runs until the end of the season, with an option for Coventry to make the move permanent if they secure promotion to the Premier League.

The Sky Blues are currently among the promotion frontrunners, sitting level on points at the top of the Championship with Middlesbrough.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow The Lagos Voice on WhatsApp channel for latest updates

Speaking on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football, Ikpeba questioned the logic behind the transfer, insisting that a player of Onyeka’s calibre should still be competing at the highest level.

“These things happen in football when you don’t get enough playing time,” Ikpeba said. “He’s a top player who puts in everything he has, even during the few times we’ve seen him play for Brentford. It’s not nice for him to drop down to the Championship.”

PAY ATTENTION: Follow The Lagos Voice on WhatsApp channel for latest updates

The former Monaco and Borussia Dortmund striker believes Onyeka’s performances, particularly on the international stage, should have earned him a move to another top-flight club.

Despite struggling for minutes at Brentford, where he made only three starts in the Carabao Cup and featured as a substitute in six Premier League matches, Onyeka was an important figure for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, helping the Super Eagles secure a bronze medal.
Ikpeba argued that those displays showed Onyeka belongs among Europe’s elite leagues.

“If he joined a top English club like a Premier League team, that would be amazing, or maybe he went to a good team in France, Italy, Spain, or a top league in another country,” Ikpeba added. “It’s really sad.”

Reflecting on his own playing career, Ikpeba noted that he never featured in a lower division and found Onyeka’s decision difficult to understand.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow The Lagos Voice on WhatsApp channel for latest updates

“I never played in the lower leagues during my 15 or 16-year career. I never thought I would get a chance to play in the second division,” he said. “For a top player, we saw what he can do with the ball during the Nations Cup. He needs to join a stronger team, keep playing in the Premier League, or find a new opportunity somewhere else.”

Ikpeba concluded by questioning the rationale behind the move despite Coventry’s strong league position.

“Going to Coventry just because they are leading the league doesn’t make sense,” he stated.