Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has stepped in defense of his friend Victor Boniface who faced some backlash from fans last weekend; npflupdates.com reports.
Boniface is yet to open his goal-scoring account in the colours of the Super Eagles. The former Bodø/Glimt forward against Benin Republic last Saturday was presented with some goal-scoring chances, but he failed to convert any.
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Some fans and pundits didn’t the like the wastefulness of the Bayer Leverkusen marksman. Some have gone ahead to question his preference in Super Eagles over other forwards like Kelechi Iheanacho and Taiwo Awoniyi.
Osimhen, who recently signed for Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, has defended that missing chances is a normal occurrence for strikers.
According to him, Boniface is his brother, alongside Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, adding that they all have the same mindset.
What Osimhen said about Victor Boniface
“Boniface has been a brother to me just like Awoniyi. One thing I really love about this group is the unity and solidarity regardless of who is starting or who is on the bench.
“We all have the same mindset, the same goal to win every game, to fight for each other,” Osimhen told Counter Attack Podcast and was quoted by DailyPost Nigeria.
“Boniface had a very good game [against Benin], he was quite unlucky with some attempts but it’s normal. Strikers miss a lot of chances as we can score.
“He really did well and is an important player who can win games for us individually. It’s really a good game from him and it was important for me to come in and also do my thing.”
Similarly, Osimhen spoke good of winger Ademola Lookman, backing him to become the next CAF Player Of The Year (POTY).
Lookman was instrumental for Nigeria at the 2023 AFCON; and was also the first African to score a hat-trick in a European final. He achieved this feat when he scored a hat-trick against Boniface Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin to help Atalanta BC win the Europa League title.
Lookman to win 2024 CAF POTY
“He’s a passionate guy, he does his job diligently. I’m really happy for him but of course we all know he’s going to win the African Player of the Year. I am 100% sure, he will win it,” Osimhen told Dapoceo Podcast as quoted by SCORENigeria.
“I already told him he’s bringing it home and he deserves it as he has done so well for us. It’s a win for Nigeria because he has represented us well. He has carried the team so he deserves his moment and I pray to God that he’s really going to win it.
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“To see Ademola in this kind of situation, I am really happy for him because I know few of his stories and also in terms of football, he deserves every good thing that comes his way because he’s also a very good guy.”
