LAGOS – Former Super Eagles midfielder, Sylvanus Okpala, has backed Victor Boniface to succeed with the Nigerian national team despite his rough start.
The striker has scored eight goals in 15 games for his Bayer 04 Leverkusen this season, but his form for the country has not met expectation of Nigerians.
Recalled that the 23-year-old made his debut for Nigeria in September 2023 after a brilliant start to life with Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. However, life in the national team hasn’t gone according to plan for Boniface.
In 11 appearances for the three-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners, the former Union Saint-Gilloise forward has found the back of the net just once, and the Nigerian populace are increasingly becoming frustrated with the strikers lack of impact, especially after Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualifying games against the Republic of Benin and Rwanda.
Okpala has come to his defence, calling for patience from the Nigerian football fans to allow Boniface flourish in attack.
Okpala said: “Osimhen comes in and scores. “When Osimhen isn’t there, Boniface doesn’t score. He needs to be talked to, given a lot of confidence, and reminded that as a centre forward, his primary role is to score. “If he can’t score, then he should start providing assists.
“He shouldn’t be too anxious to score in every game. Yes, scoring is crucial, but he needs to stay calm. When you count one, you can get to two.
“Once he starts scoring, the confidence will return. It’s normal. Bayer Leverkusen is different from the national team,” the 63-year-old said in an interview with Brila FM on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Boniface is out of action for club due to a thigh injury he picked up while on International duty.
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