In 2023 AFCON, Nigeria is dealt a blow as Boniface is sidelined due to injury
The setback compounds Nigeria’s challenges as they approach the upcoming competition, having already faced the loss of Leicester City’s midfielder Wilfred Ndidi due to injury.
In a recent update on January 8, 2024, it was revealed that Victor Boniface, the talented forward from Bayer Leverkusen, will also be absent from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to an injury, marking the second Nigerian player ruled out of the tournament.
Despite being one of the leading scorers in Germany this season, Boniface’s unfortunate injury means that the three-time African champions will be entering the AFCON without the services of one of Europe’s most prolific goal scorers.
Expressing his disappointment on his social media account, Boniface shared the timing of his injury, stating, “U20 Nations Cup got injured 7 days before Nations Cup.
mSuper Eagles got injured 6 days before the Nations Cup. Only GOD knows why.” In an Instagram post, he wished his teammates luck, acknowledging the challenging circumstances.
The young player sustained a groin injury, forcing him to miss the team’s 2-0 loss to Guinea in a pre-AFCON game on Monday. Boniface is set to return to Germany for medical treatment, with an estimated recovery period of about six weeks.
Nigeria’s Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, is expected to make a replacement call for the 23-year-old in the days leading up to the AFCON.