Victor Boniface: “Most Painful Moments of My Career”, Nigeria Striker Opens Up on Missing AFCON 2023

• Victor Boniface has opened up on one of the most painful moments in his career
• The Nigerian has had an exceptional season with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany
• He, however, was sadly absent from the Super Eagles AFCON 2023 final squad

Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface, has opened up about the "painful" experience of missing the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to injury.

The Bayer Leverkusen forward was initially named in the Super Eagles final squad but was forced to withdraw after suffering a groin injury during a pre-tournament training camp.

The setback came at a time when he was enjoying a breakout season with Leverkusen, having registered an impressive 24 goal involvements (16 goals, eight assists) in 23 appearances across all competitions.

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"It was difficult, one of the most painful moments of my career, not only the injury itself, but of course also my absence from the Africa Cup of Nations and some important Bundesliga games," Boniface explained to AFP, as reported by Transfermarkt.

His absence forced then-coach Jose Peseiro to adjust his tactics, switching from a 4-4-2 formation to a more defensive 3-4-3 system.

Despite the disappointment of missing the AFCON, he has shown remarkable resilience, overcoming injury setbacks, including a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2019 Under 20 AFCON and a cruciate ligament rupture that cost him a place in the 2019 World Cup.

As reported by Arise News, Boniface boasts a historic Bundesliga title with Leverkusen, ending Bayern Munich's 12-year dominance. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, as he has been nominated for the coveted EA Bundesliga Team of the Season.

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Boniface pays tribute to late mom

Sports Brief reported Boniface celebrated Leverkusen's historic Bundesliga title victory in style by purchasing a unique diamond piece as a tribute to his late mother.

He contacted famous Nigerian jeweler Buchi Obasi, to make two diamond chains for him.

Both pieces are reported to be worth a whopping ₦10 million with one of the large pendants featuring an encrusted Diamond inscription that reads “Dreams Are For Real” with a throwback picture of his late mother and his siblings.