- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will likely drop Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- The Malian announced his 39-man squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda and Zimbabwe
- 2013 AFCON winner Kenneth Omeruo, former assistant captain Leon Balogun, and five important players were dropped by the manager
Out-of-favour Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface and AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze are set to be dropped by Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle.
The duo made the 39-man provisional list released by the Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday.
Nigeria are fifth in Group C, with only three points from four matches, after suffering one defeat and three draws.
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Chelle’s decision on Boniface and Chukwueze
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is hungry for victory and plans to take desperate measures to earn all six points in the crucial World Cup qualifying matches this month.
According to OwnGoal, Leverkusen hitman Victor Boniface and AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze will not make the 23-man squad.
The 47-year-old is not impressed with the performance of both players and limited playing time at their respective clubs.
Samuel Chukwueze has scored three goals in 21 appearances for AC Milan in the 2024/25 season per Transfermarkt
On the other hand, Bayern Leverkusen player Victor Boniface has scored 7 goals in 14 appearances in the 2024/25 Bundesliga.
The former Mali coach will bank on players like Sadiq Umar, Paul Onuachu, Nathan Tella, Joe Aribo, and Cyriel Dessers whose names are in the provisional list.
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Football administrator differs
Football administrator Tobi Adepoju has clamped down on individuals calling for the exclusion of Victor Boniface from the squad.
The Nigerian journalist wrote on his X formerly Twitter that the striker should not be judged by his limited appearances for the Super Eagles. He wrote:
“Wait. People clamored for Victor Boniface to be excluded from the Super Eagles squad.
Weird. You don't judge such talent with less than 10 National team games.
We need to be "calming" down.
Why people dey talk say Boniface never score for Super Eagles? He get one goal and one assist.
Make we dey calm down. Boniface scored against Saudi Arabia in a friendly game.
Some fans reacted to the statement of the Nigerian journalist in his comment section.
@SamuelI10540458 wrote:
But we need goals from him, if people don't get that they will keep complaining about him .
@campeones287 added:
He needs to be serious when he puts on the national jersey. His playing pattern between Leverkusen and Super Eagles are completely different. He's getting the chances, but he becomes too cold in front of goal. Let him show the ginger we know he's got
@Jerry_Research1 said:
This is a very personal opinion. I still prefer Ahmed Musa in our attack to Boniface. Man has had his chances and nothing came out of it. We can't keep waiting for him to come up when he isn't ready to come up.
@Mcbaloo wrote:
They need to stop inviting him for a while and give other players a chance. We know how the media treated players who didn’t perform for the national team in the past. Boniface shouldn’t be different.
Transfer saga
Since the failed Al-Nassr transfer deal, Boniface has struggled to make the starting XI due to injury and Patrik Schick's poor form.
According to Punch, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is confident that the Nigeria striker will fight for his place in the team despite almost leaving the club to join Saudi Premier League giants Al Nassr in January.
He said via ESPN:
The [transfer] situation was a bit strange, unpleasant, and it was important that he felt important again and felt the love of the fans. That's important for the mind."
If the transfer had been successful, Leverkusen would have received €60m—€10m more than their asking price of €50m.
Chelle drops key players
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle dropped seven key players from the list including 2013 AFCON winner Kenneth Omeruo and former Super Eagles captain Leon Balogun.
Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, followed by a match against Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later.
Premier League stars, Tosin Adarabioyo and Ethan Nwaneri are auspiciously missing from the Super Eagles provisional list released by the Nigeria Football Federation.
