Will Victor Boniface now step up for Super Eagles in Osimhen’s absence?

At the weekend, the 23-year-old Victor Boniface scored his sixth goal of the season for Bayer Leverkusen against Kiel in the German Bundesliga.

He even had another effort chalked off for offside.

This was coming just days after he fired his first-ever goal in the UEFA Champions League, which proved to be the winner against AC Milan.

Victor Boniface scores first Champions League goal vs AC Milan

He will therefore fly into Uyo with his confidence sky-high amid the expectations that he has yet another chance to step up as the arrow head of the Super Eagles in the absence of the injured Victor Osimhen.

Last month, he failed to do so against both Benin and Rwanda.

Despite a disappointing showing against Benin in Uyo, coach Augustine Eguavoen stuck by him to start against Rwanda in Kigali.

‘Boni’ responded with an improved display, but he was unlucky not to score his first goal for the Super Eagles as he saw a shot come off the crossbar and the goalkeeper pulled off a point-blank save with the striker through on goal.

Should the Super Eagles play to his strength or should he be the one to adapt to the style of the national team?

The midfielder-turned-striker has proved he knows his way to goal, from Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt to Union St.Gilloise in Belgium and now with history-making Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Victor Boniface (right) rejoices with Osimhen in Eagles colours

How has Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso brought out the best and the most importantly the goals from Victor Boniface?

The Bundesliga champions usually play a 3-4-3 formation with Victor Boniface the head of the strike force flanked by two roving forwards as well as two other wing backs.

Because goals is the name of the game, Eguavoen could do well to reproduce this in the Super Eagles with Ademola Lookman and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru the roving forwards along with the usual wing backs Ola Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi.

This would mean Alex Iwobi is consigned to the bench, while Wilfred Ndidi gets additional help in defensive midfield either Raphael Onyedika or Alhassan Yusuf.

It would be recalled that Ademola Lookman also struggled to find his feet in the Super Eagles when he was played as a winger.

He has since become one of the first games on the Super Eagles starting XI because he is now in his element as a second striker, the role he also plays for his Italian club Atalanta BC.

Like ‘Mola’, ‘Boni’ is one of Nigeria’s most potent attacking forces and the Super Eagles ought to play to his strength for him to reproduce the goals and performances he delivers week in, week out for the German champions.


Osimhen insists transfer talks have to wait
Speculations have continued over the future of Victor Osimhen, but the striker himself has maintained he will not be discussing this until the season is over with Galatasaray in the summer. Osimhen has lately been linked with Premier League heavyweights, from Manchester United to Arsenal. However, the Napoli striker, who is on loan at Turkish ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Super Eagles star Osayi Samuel back for Europa League action
Fenerbache have named Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel on the squad for tonight’s UEFA Europa League clash at Scottish giants Rangers. Osayi-Samuel missed the first leg in Turkey due to suspension. The Turkish giants fell 3-1 at home in the reverse tie with Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers scoring a goal and providing an assist ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Super Eagles call-up Anthony Dennis targets wins over Rwanda, Zimbabwe
Super Eagles call-up Anthony Dennis has expressed confidence the team to fly past both Rwanda and Zimbabwe to get their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track. The Goztepe midfield star was named on the Super Eagles provisional squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, but he did not make the ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Atalanta raise asking price for Ademola Lookman
Italian Serie A club Atalanta may have agreed in principle for Ademola Lookman to leave this summer even with two years left on his contract, but they also want to make the most from this departure financially. Atalanta initial asking price for the Super Eagles forward was 50 Million Euros, but now they want as ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Super Eagles Final Squad: Ahmed Musa, Iheanacho out
Coach Eric Chelle has left out Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho from the Super Eagles final squad for must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The inclusion of both players on the 39-man provisional squad was widely criticized. Ahmed Musa was last involved with the national team at last year’s delayed 2023 AFCON. ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


1 thought on “Will Victor Boniface now step up for Super Eagles in Osimhen’s absence?”

  1. Comment* Greetings members of the masonic society. When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them. See! This our father did for us.

    Reply

Leave a Comment