Izuchukwu Okosi
Nigeria strikers Victor Boniface and Gift Orban are expected to make their international debuts when the Super Eagles play against Sao Tome and Principe in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on September 10, reports Prime Business Africa.
Head coach Jose Peseiro has been offered a new contract by the Nigeria Football Federation albeit with a substantial paycut and may not eventually oversee the invitations of the duo that he craved to have in the team should he turn down the Nigeria Football Federation’s offer.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPeseiro has stated that he needs to be given a free hand to invite players to the national team.
The coach told the sporting media that Orban and Boniface are yet get their national team invites as a result of the NFF’s best efforts to force him to adhere to the clause of having home-based players in the team at the expense of players he is yet to invite to the national team.
However Prime Business Africa gathered that Nigerian fans are set to see the players make their Nigeria bows.
Leverkusen in particular made the disclosure on their club website that Boniface will be part of the Super Eagles setup.
The in-form stars who play for Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) and Gent (Belgium) have been in the conversation for a possible invitations to the team.
Writing on their website, Leverkusen has this to say of the Nigerian and other African players heading to their countries of origin for the Africa Cup of Nations qualification series:
“Four Werkself (Leverkusen) players are involved in qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations to be played in the Ivory Coast. Odilon Kossounou with the Ivory Coast is set to play Lesotho and a friendly against Mali.
“Victor Boniface with Nigeria faces São Tomé and Príncipe. This is the striker’s first call-up to the Nigeria squad,” the website stated.
Similarly, Orban whose father is from Benue state and his mother a Togolese, according to reports monitored in some media outlets will be available to play for the Sao Tome and Principe game.
The Super Eagles camp in Uyo will be opened after this weekend’s round of games in Europe.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
