Super Eagles striker, Victor Boniface, has expressed disappointment over his exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a sudden injury he sustained in Abu Dhabi.
Boniface on Monday announced he will miss this month’s AFCON after suffering a groin injury while training with the Super Eagles camp in Abu Dhabi.
The 23-year-old was injured during Nigeria’s final warm-up friendly against Guinea on Monday and reports say he will be out for up to six weeks.
This is a repeat of what happened to Boniface during the 2019 U-20 AFCON tournament where he got injured seven days into the tournament.
Four years later, Boniface got injured six days before the start of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast.
Reacting to the injury, the 23-year-old posted an emotional message on his X (formerly Twitter) page, where he expressed his disappointment with his injury especially when it’s time to represent Nigeria.
“U20 Nations Cup got injured seven days before the Nations Cup,” Boniface said on his X account.
“Super Eagles got injured six days before the Nations Cup. Only GOD Knows why.”
The Super Eagles striker has been in superb form for Bayer Leverkusen since he joined the club in the summer and is one of the key players coach Jose Pereiro is banking on to lead Nigeria’s attack alongside Victor Osimhen in Ivory Coast.
His absence will be a setback for the Super Eagles, and reports suggest that Pereiro is likely to invite Terem Moffi to replace Boniface.
Boniface made his Super Eagles debut in October 2023 and has since earned four more caps.
His injury comes on top of the recent withdrawal of Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi who was injured in Leicester City’s 2-0 win at Cardiff City on December 29.
Nigeria kick off their 2023 AFCON campaign in Group A with a game against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday before meeting hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau.
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