Frank Onyeka has expressed his delight after netting his first goal for Coventry City in their thrilling 3-2 victory over Derby County on Friday night, describing his recent international outing with Nigeria as a "proud moment." 

The Super Eagles midfielder, who recently returned from national team duty, opened the scoring in style with a composed chipped finish in the first half at the CBS Arena. 

Despite taking an early lead, Coventry were twice pegged back by Derby County, forcing a tense second-half battle. 

However, the introduction of Jack Rudoni proved decisive, as he scored a brace to secure all three points for the Sky Blues. 

Reflecting on the team's performance, Onyeka praised their resilience, highlighting the importance of their response after being pegged at 2-2 and their determination to see out the win. 

"It was a good performance from the team," Onyeka told BBC Radio in his post-match reaction. "The way we fought, even when we are 2-2, we came back, Jack Rudoni came on and scored two goals, which was really important. Now, we are happy for the victory."

The Nigerian midfielder also spoke about the personal significance of his goal, explaining that he spotted the goalkeeper off his line before executing the decisive chip. 

"It was a special one, I saw the goalkeeper off the line, I had to chip it. It was a good goal. Happy, I got my first goal for Coventry, I am really excited about the goal," he added. 

"I had to go forward instead of going backwards because I feel we had more men to play one-two and continue my run and score the goal."

Onyeka admitted the physical toll of his recent schedule, having featured for Nigeria earlier in the week before returning to club duty with limited preparation time. 

"Tired! Played on Tuesday night. Traveled, came back and had some few training on Thursday and played today."

Nevertheless, he reaffirmed his commitment to both club and country, emphasizing that representing Nigeria remains a proud achievement despite the demanding travel.

"It's nice to get this time, to go away with Nigeria, which is a proud moment for me to represent my country but also traveling around is tiring but we will keep on going," he revealed. 

He stressed the need for continued focus, particularly ahead of their upcoming fixture against Hull City. 

"We need to keep winning our games. We have won this game, we need to focus on Monday, against Hull, going away. It is not going to be easy but we just need to focus on winning that game," Onyeka concluded. 

The Nigerian international, who has established himself as a key figure for Coventry, was involved in both fixtures against Iran and Jordan during the international break.

He made a late appearance in the 2-1 victory over Iran, before playing 81 minutes in the 2-2 draw against Jordan.

The 28-year-old was eventually substituted in the closing stages, with debutant Philip Otele coming on to replace him.

With roughly six matches remaining this season, Onyeka will be eager to maintain his impressive form as the Sky Blues continue their push for promotion to the Premier League.

Adeyemi Adewale