Boniface, Onyedika, Akpom, and Tella’s Champions League hopes take shape after Round of 16 draw

By Dayo Awoniyi

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw has revealed the opponents for Nigerian stars Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella, Raphael Onyedika, and Chuba Akpom.

The draw, held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyom, Switzerland, set the stage for some thrilling matchups. Boniface and Tella’s Bayer Leverkusen will face a tough test against German giants Bayern Munich.

The Round of 16 draw also determined the potential paths to the finals, with the quarterfinals and semifinals drawn simultaneously.

Chuba Akpom’s Lille will face another German side, Borussia Dortmund, while Raphael Onyedika’s Club Brugge will take on English team Aston Villa. The Nigerian quartet will be eager to significantly impact the competition.

Bayer Leverkusen, with Boniface and Tella, will be looking to build on their impressive group stage performance, where they finished second behind Barcelona.

Club Brugge, meanwhile, topped their group, ahead of Benfica, and will be confident of progressing further.

The Champions League Round of 16 ties will take place in February and March, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals.

The Nigerian players will be eager to make their mark on the competition and help their teams progress to the latter stages.