Victor Boniface, the 23-year-old striker from Bayer Leverkusen, has confirmed his absence from the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to a groin injury sustained during training. The injury sidelined him for Nigeria’s final warm-up friendly against Guinea, and reports suggest he might be out for up to six weeks.
On his Instagram account, Boniface wished his teammates success at AFCON, indicating his disappointment at not being able to participate. As Bayer Leverkusen’s top scorer with 10 goals in 16 league games this season, his absence is a setback for both the national team and the Bundesliga leaders.
Having made his international debut in October, Boniface has earned four caps for Nigeria. His injury compounds the challenges for the Nigerian team, following the recent withdrawal of midfielder Wilfred Ndidi due to injury.
Fellow Leicester City player Kelechi Iheanacho is also dealing with injury concerns, with assessments ongoing at Nigeria’s training camp. The hope is that he will recover in time for the AFCON tournament, set to commence on Saturday.
Nigeria is scheduled to kick off their Cup of Nations campaign with a Group A game against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, followed by matches against hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau.
