What did Austin Eguavoen say about Victor Boniface’s performance vs Libya
Super Eagles head coach Austin Eguavoen has expressed disappointment with Victor Boniface’s performance in Nigeria’s narrow 1-0 win over Libya at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Despite Nigeria dominating possession, Boniface failed to impress, drawing criticism from Eguavoen after another underwhelming display in Osimhen’s absence.
The 22-year-old striker has been in excellent form for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 14 goals in 18 starts as the club finished an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga. However, his recent performances for Nigeria have fallen short of expectations.
Boniface missed the 2023 AFCON due to injury, but fans had high hopes for him to shine in Osimhen’s absence. Yet, in the clash with Libya, the striker failed to register a single shot on target or complete a dribble. He also lost all six of his ground duels, struggling to make an impact.
After the match, Eguavoen addressed Boniface’s poor form, pointing out the forward’s hesitation in front of goal as a key issue.
“Sometimes these chances don’t come, but he wants to dress the ball,” Eguavoen said. “If he decides to shoot sometimes, he’s going to score a lot of goals. I will talk to him about it.”
The victory over Libya has put Nigeria in a strong position in their AFCON qualification campaign. However, Eguavoen will be hoping for more from Boniface in upcoming matches as the Super Eagles prepare for their next fixture in Benghazi.
With Victor Osimhen still unavailable, the team will need Boniface to step up and find his scoring boots if they are to continue their winning momentum.
