With Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen out injured, the spotlight will be on Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface for another opportunity to prove he can translate his club form to the international stage.
The Super Eagles face Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header. Nigeria host the first game at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday evening, with the return at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, 19 kilometres from Libya’s second city Benghazi, on Tuesday night.
Once again, the Nigerians are packing a serious punch as far as their roster goes. Along with Boniface there are the likes of Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Wilfred Ndidi, among others.
They have also made a good start to life under Augustine Eguavoen, but can they continue?
Time for Boniface to come good
Eight games into his Super Eagles career, the Leverkusen forward has failed to score, including underwhelming displays in the absence of Osimhen when he was in the middle of his transfer tug-of-war with Napoli.
There is no doubt about Boniface’s talent, quality, or of his confidence. The trouble is that he just has not been able to bring the same club level production to the national team.
And it is not for lack of opportunities. He has come close on a number of occasions, including the last two games, but the finishing touch has eluded him.
Injury to Osimhen once again presents that opportunity for the Leverkusen man, who has five goals in his last six appearances so far for the German Bundesliga club, to stake his claim for a more competitive battle for Nigeria’s top striker slot.
If he starts, as he is expected to, look out for a very aggressive, direct route to goal.
Not that the 23-year-old appears too concerned about his international drought: “We have Awoniyi, we have Kelechi and myself,” he told ESPN.
“So any one that is called upon will try to win the game, that is the most important thing.
“Why would the weight be on me? Like I said, we have other players and we don’t know who will start, for now. But the three of us are ready to give hundred percent for us to win.”
Eguavoen must continue his strong start
The interim coach is brimming with confidence from their four-point start to the AFCON qualifiers – and in truth, it could well have been all six points if they had turned their dominance over Rwanda in Kigali to goals.
Eguavoen has set the team a goal of taking all six points off of Libya, which would all but seal their spot at the Finals: “We have to be practical about it.
“Our best and surest route to the finals will be to pick up the six points in the matches with Libya, and be somewhat guaranteed of a place in Morocco even before Matchday 5. We don’t want to be in any anxiety in the run-in in this qualifying campaign.”
Eguavoen’s confidence, especially after he was recently confirmed to continue in the position by the NFF for at least through the remainder of the qualifiers, comes despite missing his star forward.
He said: “I admit we will miss Victor (Osimhen), but I believe in the other strikers available to get us the goals that will give us the three points in Uyo, and the three points in Libya.”
One of those is the red-hot Ademola Lookman, who continues to stake his claim to replace Osimhen as African Player of the Year.
The Atalanta forward will once again be counted on to create and finish opportunities for the Super Eagles against a Libya side in turmoil.
If he does, and the Super Eagles win as expected, it would further enhance Eguavoen’s reputation. The former defender holds a winning record on each of the previous three occasions he has taken charge of the team.
Libya hoping for damage control
Nasser Al-Hadhiri’s team has been impacted by boycotts and injuries, leading the local press to calling the task against Nigeria a ‘near-impossible mission’.
According to coach Al-Hadhiri, three players, Hamdou El-Ouni, Sand Al-Warfali and Mohamed Al-Munir, all from Al Ahly Tripoli have refused call-ups to the national team. Three others are out to injury; Al Ahly Tripoli’s Ahmed Al-Tarbi, Al Nasr’s Mohammed Al-Tabbal and Ali Youssef of Club Africaine.
“We realize that winning against Nigeria is difficult,” said the coach. “But we seek to return with a draw that will be positive for us and restore our hope in competing for qualification.”
Stranger things have happened.
