By Monsurah Olatunji
Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Augustine Eguavoen, has reiterated his unwavering support for striker Victor Boniface, despite the forward’s ongoing struggles to replicate his club form with the Super Eagles.
Boniface was widely regarded as a valuable addition to the national team after his impressive performances for Bayer Leverkusen, where he played a key role in their history-making season.
However, since making his debut for Nigeria in 2023, the 23-year-old has failed to find the back of the net in eleven appearances for his country.
The striker has come under heavy scrutiny following his inability to score, despite receiving numerous opportunities and the backing of Coach Eguavoen.
In his post-match press conference, Eguavoen spoke candidly about his efforts to support Boniface, revealing that he has personally spoken to the player several times to boost his confidence—a quality the coach believes is vital for a player’s success.
“He is still part of the squad. He will remain part of the squad,” Eguavoen affirmed.
“Boniface is capable of great things, especially at his club. When he comes here, we try to give him a lot of confidence and playing time. I’m somebody who wants to give players confidence. I’ve done enough, but for whatever reason, he’s still not clicking with the team.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
