Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has turned to OGC Nice striker Terem Moffi to fill the void left by in-form Victor Boniface, who has been ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations with a groin injury.

Victor Boniface, a revelation for Bayer Leverkusen this season with 16 goals and 8 assists, was expected to spearhead the Nigerian attack alongside Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. Unfortunately, his AFCON dream is on hold, with a return to action anticipated only on February 19th, eight days after the tournament concludes.

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This twist has opened the door for Moffi, whose omission from the initial 25-man squad raised eyebrows. While not replicating his blistering form of last season, the former Lorient man gets a chance to shine in his maiden AFCON appearance.

Boniface, naturally devastated, expressed his frustration on microblogging site X formerly Twitter, drawing parallels to a similar injury that sidelined him from the U-20 Nations Cup in the past. “U20 Nations Cup got injured 7 days before Nations Cup. Super Eagles got injured 6 days before Nation Cup. Na Only GOD Knows why,” the striker lamented.

Boniface becomes the most recent high-profile Nigerian player to miss out on the AFCON after Taiwo Awoniyi and Wilfred Ndidi.

Despite the setback, Nigeria remains a strong contender for the AFCON title. They kick off their campaign against Equatorial Guinea, with Moffi hoping to prove his worth and contribute to a potential Eagles triumph.