By Kayode John
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has described compatriot Victor Boniface as a world-class player.
Boniface has been under scrutiny over his inability to score for the national team as he does at Bayer Leverkusen.
He has six goals in nine matches for his German club this season but has not found the net in any competitive game for Nigeria as well as in his last six matches, including in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda last month.
The Eagles will take on Libya on Matchday 3 of the qualifying campaign in Uyo on Friday, with Boniface expected to start upfront in the absence of injured Victor Osimhen.
“We have some players with a lot of caps now with the national team that have to help the guys. We spoke about Boniface before who is a world-class player in my opinion,” Troost-Ekong said on Thursday.
“Someone has also mentioned African Player of the Year for what he did for his club. Like anyone he has come here with us now, he has been a few times, and with players like that that have all the talent, they don’t need any help.
“On the pitch, we just try to to make them feel at home and we have that spirit now. Everyone who comes in, they feel free to express themselves, to be themselves and that’s when we see the best performances.
“That’s what we try to do as a group and it’s not only myself, there are some other players that have many caps so we are all working that together.”
The 23-year-old Boniface has one goal in eight appearances for Nigeria, which was in a friendly game last year.
