Former Super Eagles star calls out 'very good striker' Boniface for below-par display against Benin 

Former Super Eagles defender Sam Elijah has voiced his criticism of Victor Boniface's performance in Nigeria's recent 3-0 victory over Benin. 

The Bayer Leverkusen striker started the match against the Cheetahs and struggled to make a significant impact. 

He was eventually replaced by Victor Osimhen in the 72nd minute.

In an interview with allnigeriasoccer.com, Elijah expressed his disappointment with Boniface's performance, suggesting that the striker should have been substituted earlier. 

"I think Boniface did not do well today. He was not in the game at all," Elijah said. 

"I didn't see much contribution to the team from him. For me, he would have being changed even earlier. I think he just had a bad day. He is a very good striker"

Elijah also praised the overall performance of the team, highlighting a notable improvement in preparation and commitment compared to Nigeria's previous encounter with Benin in June. 

"I think the difference is you can see the seriousness and commitment from the boys that played today's match," Elijah noted.

"I think the preparation is good enough compared to the one we play at away to the Benin team."

"You can see that the team is not really committed. I didn't see much preparation."

"It is like they are not hungry but today you can see they are all came out. They were playing together as a unit, attacking and at the same time defending together."

"I think the difference is that the boys were much committed and prepared."

Nigeria will face Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10, at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali as they continue their campaign to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

Adeyemi Adewale

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