Bayern Bayern Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface was very disappointed to miss out on the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to injury. The 23-year-old will be resting for six weeks and having to return to Germany for the absence of Boniface is a major blow to the Super Eagles as he has excelled in the Bundesliga to help the team move to the top of the league table. Coach José Pesero plans to replace Boniface with Nice FC striker Terem Murphy for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Boniface missed Nigeria's friendly against Guinea and wished his teammates the best of luck in the Ivory Coast tournament via social **. The Nigerian national team has lost midfielder Wilfried Ndidi and striker Taiwo Awoniyi due to injury. Arakhsan Yusuf was called in place of Ndidi. These injury setbacks have affected Nigeria's preparation for this tournament, although they are considered one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Nigeria will face Equatorial Guinea in their opening match in Group A of the group stage, before taking on hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau. Losing key players in the days leading up to the opening game is a challenge for the team. Overall, the absence of Victor Boniface and other injured players adds to the challenge for the Super Eagles in their quest for Africa Cup of Nations glory. It remains to be seen how Nigeria will cope with this game without key players.