Football: Victor Boniface set for early retirement from Super Eagles?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Boniface hints at calling time on Nigeria national team career
Nigeria fans were left perplexed last Friday when Victor Boniface, who is known for his comedic nature, posted on social media that he would be retiring from the Super Eagles following the team's 1-1 draw against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The 24-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker recorded only a single shot on target against Sbornaya and was hooked at the hour mark by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, replacing him with Genk attacker Tolu Arokodare. Don't forget you can keep up to the minute with all this summer's international matches with our football livescore tool.
Within 10 minutes of entering the fray, Arokodare got on the scoresheet for Nigeria, erasing a first-half own goal by West Bromwich Albion defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi. With that result, Nigeria has only won one of their last four matches across all competitions in regulation time.
Moments after the match against Russia ended, Boniface released a social media post, suggesting that he is calling time on his Super Eagles career at the age of just 24. The post read:
‘’Proud to play for my country, and a dream for me also. Really enjoyed every moment - the good and the bad. Thanks a lot. Thank you all. I don hang boot.’’
However, amid the controversy that ensued among Nigerian football fans, Boniface deleted the social media post and clarified that it was never meant to be taken seriously, a message that was later confirmed by the NFF.
Since debuting for the Super Eagles in 2023, the Bayern Leverkusen striker has only featured 13 times for the Nigerian national team, but has yet to open his account, registering only a single assist, which is significantly below his output in the Bundesliga, where he as racked up 32 goals and 12 assists in just 61 appearances.
Boniface Bundesliga future in doubt?
Despite his impressive tally for the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions, Boniface has endured several injury setbacks over the last couple of years. Last season, he featured in just 19 league matches and scored eight goals, having not played for the team from mid-November 2024 to the start of February 2025 due to a hamstring injury.
Given his injury record, there has been increased speculation during the offseason that Die Werkself may be considering parting ways with the Nigerian striker for the upcoming campaign, with interest being shown by several clubs, including in the Premier League and Saudi Arabia.
Among the English teams who have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old are Arsenal, Newcastle United and Chelsea, though the latter are believed to have dropped their interest following the acquisition of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, who were relegated from the top flight to the Championship last season.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr tabled a bid understood to have been in the region of £51 - £59m in January for Boniface. However, due to him being sidelined during that period through injury, the PIF-owned powerhouse instead opted to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa for £65m on transfer deadline day.
Widespread reports in recent weeks suggest that the Gunners are keeping tabs on the Super Eagles forward, though it is understood that RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is at the top of their wishlist, followed by Sporting Lisbon’s talisman Viktor Gyokeres.
