Jose Peseiro Reveals How Absence Of Victor Boniface Cost Nigeria 2023 AFCON

The former head coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, believes that the absence of Victor Boniface affected the team’s push for the 2023 AFCON trophy.

Victor Boniface was named in Jose Peseiro’s final squad for the 2023 AFCON which took place in Ivory Coast between January 13 and February 11.

Unfortunately for Nigeria, the 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker injured his adaptor a few days before the commencement of the tournament. He has remained sidelined since January 2024.

Initially, according to Jose Peseiro, the team intended to play a two-man attack during the tournament but due to Boniface’s absence, the Super Eagles used mostly a 4-3-3 formation throughout the tournament.

The formation earned the Super Eagles a second-place finish in Group A with no defeat and also took them to the final where they lost 2-1 to the hosts, Ivory Coast.

One of the biggest problems for the Super Eagles during the tournament was to convert goalscoring opportunities despite having a prolific striker like Victor Osimhen leading the attack. Hence, coach Jose Peseiro believes the Nigerian side would have won the tournament if Victor Boniface was available.

“I will say that Boniface would have made the difference without injury,” Peseiro whose contract with the NFF expired on February 29, told AfricafootUnited in an interview.

“He was very confident and can play comfortably in our two-man attacking style. He can also play on both sides of the strikers and that would have made him our invisible arc in the tournament.

“Our options to refine our style were limited in his (Boniface) absence.”

Naija News has reported that Victor Boniface is expected to return to the pitch in April this year after over three months on the sidelines.