Former Nigerian international Garba Lawal believes the contrast in playing style and approach between Trabzonspor and the Super Eagles is a major reason behind Paul Onuachu’s struggles at international level.
Onuachu has struggled to replicate his club form at the national level over the years, casting doubts over his ability to perform for the Super Eagles.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed a very impressive campaign so far this season since making his return to the Turkish club, scoring 24 times across all competitions, including 22 in the league as he leads the race to win the Turkish golden boot.
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However, he has struggled to make an impact in the green and white jersey of Nigeria, scoring just four times from 32 appearances for the national team.
Onuachu’s goal in Nigeria’s 3-1 win over Uganda in the group stage of the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament was also his first since scoring in a 3-0 win over Lesotho in 2021, epitomizing his struggles for the national team.
Lawal defends Onuachu’s form for Super Eagles
Garba Lawal, who enjoyed a remarkable career with Nigeria winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic games, believes Onuachu has failed to replicate his club form at the international level due to the differences in the playing style between both sides.
According to him, the system at Trabzonspor is better suited to Onuachu’s strengths, while the Super Eagles’ setup doesn’t quite bring out the best in the striker.
“It’s important to remember that national team football is a different ball game. Even in my day, we had strikers like Jonathan Akpoborie, who struggled internationally but would return to his club and score a brace or a hat-trick immediately”, Lawal said.
“At club level, you have the luxury of time and consistent minutes to find your rhythm. With the national team, you don’t have time to gel; you might only get two or three sessions before a match. If you don’t produce instantly, you risk being dropped”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, Onuachu will hope for another goalscoring outing after his heroics in the 2-1 win over Galatasaray in their last match, when Trabzonspor face Alanyaspor on Saturday.
