NFF Reacts to Super Eagles' Victor Boniface Retirement Joke

• Victor Boniface shared a post on his Instagram page claiming he had retired from the national team
• This came after another uninspiring performance for the Super Eagles during the 1-1 draw vs Russia
• The Nigeria Football Federation, through its media officer, has reacted to the Bayer Leverkusen star

The Nigeria Football Federation has reacted to Victor Boniface’s now-deleted post that he has retired from the national team after the 1-1 draw against Russia.

Eric Chelle handed Boniface a rare start against Russia in the absence of Victor Osimhen, and he failed to capitalise, delivering a lacklustre performance in his 61 minutes on the pitch.

After his poor performance, he made a post on Instagram claiming he had retired from the national team, but deleted it minutes later.

"Proud to play for my country, and a dream for me also. Really enjoyed every moment — the good and the bad. Thanks a lot. Thank you all. I don hang boot,” he wrote.

NFF responds to Boniface’s post

The post was screen-grabbed and recirculated on social media, attracting mixed reactions from fans. Some called for him to make it real and never return, while others blasted him, and some defended him.

The NFF, through its director of communications, Ademola Olajire, has reacted to the post, describing it as a mere jest and downplaying any possible sanction.

“You should have noticed that he was jesting. He immediately deleted the post,” Olajire told All Nigeria Soccer.

Ex-Super Eagles star defends Boniface

Former Super Eagles striker Mobi Oparaku has hit back at fans bashing Boniface for his retirement post, which he made after the 1-1 draw against Russia.

Oparaku claimed that despite the fact that he has yet to hit the ground running, he plays with his heart for the national team.

“It has been a long season, most players are already mentally fatigued and just want to go on break,” he told brila.net.

“He is a good player who has simply struggled to find his best form with the Super Eagles, but Boniface is not a player who doesn’t show heart on the pitch.”

The former Royal Union Saint-Gilloise star has played 15 times for the Nigerian national team and has yet to score. He provided an assist on his debut.

He has yet to feature at a major tournament, having missed out on the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations due to injury.

Boniface set to leave Leverkusen

The striker is set to leave German club Leverkusen this summer after he was close to leaving the club to join Al-Nassr in January, but the Saudi club chose Jhon Duran instead.

New head coach Erik ten Hag has opened the door to his departure, and the club have slapped a €50 million price tag on him amid interest from top European clubs.

Eric Chelle’s agent reacts to Boniface’s post

Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle’s agent reacted to reports that Boniface will be dropped from the national team after claiming to have retired from the team.

Sidibe dismissed the reports claiming that Chelle does not operate that way and is instead focused on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is his big responsibility.

Source: Legit.ng