Super Eagles interim head coach, Austin Eguavoen, has offered insights into Victor Boniface’s current form, emphasising the striker’s potential while acknowledging his challenges in front of goal for the national team.
Speaking after Nigeria’s narrow 1-0 victory over Libya in their AFCON 2025 qualifier, Eguavoen said, “You know, Boniface is a clinical striker, clinical finisher, but he is struggling in national colours. You see, sometimes these chances don’t come”.
Eguavoen noted that decision-making in key moments has been a factor for the young forward.
“I remember in Rwanda, today also, when you get half a chance, like Romario, they poke the ball, but he wants to dress and dress and dress, and then the defenders recover.”
He expressed his belief in the striker’s ability to deliver more consistently.
He said, “So if he decides on time, I think Boniface will score a lot of goals. I will speak to him about that”.
Victor Boniface extended his goalless streak playing for Nigeria to seven games after failing to find the back of the net once again in the country’s 1-0 win over Libya in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday.
It’s just one day shy of a year that the striker last found the back of the net for Nigeria having opened his goal account during a 2-2 international friendly game against Saudi Arabia on 13 October 2023.
Since scoring his first goal for Nigeria in 2023, Boniface has gone seven games without finding the back of the net.
The striker failed to score against Mozambique in a friendly game and followed that with another poor run during the World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
An adductor injury ruled him out of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and he was an unused substitute against South Africa on matchday 3 of the World Cup qualifier.
In the game against Benin Republic, the striker was in action for 40 minutes but couldn’t help as Nigeria fell to a 2-1 defeat in the World Cup qualifier.
Despite starting the 2024/25 season with a bang for Leverkusen, Boniface again could hit the back of the net against Rwanda and Libya in the first two games of the AFCON qualifiers.
Boniface’s struggle to replicate Leverkusen’s fine form for Nigeria was evident again on Friday as the striker failed to hit a shot on a target despite being handed a starting berth by Interim coach Austin Eguavoen.
After watching the 23-year-old struggle for 74 minutes, Eguavoen sent in Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi in his place, extending the former Union SG’s goal drought to seven games playing for Nigeria.
Speaking before the start of the game, Eguavoen had expressed full confidence in the striker assuring fans that he would score should he get to start the game at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
“Victor Boniface has always been part of this team. Yes, he has not been able to find the back of the net. But I can assure you that if he starts tomorrow, he will score”, Eguavoen said.
Boniface hopes to end his bad luck in front of the goal when Nigeria takes on the Mediterranean Knights at the Martyrs of February Stadium on Tuesday.
