Why Victor Boniface Did Not Play For Nigeria Against South Africa – Finidi George

Nigeria’s Super Eagles coach, Finidi George has revealed why he didn’t play Victor Boniface in the 1-1 draw against South Africa on Friday.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigeria faced a disappointing 1-1 draw against South Africa on Friday night, June 7, leaving the Super Eagles’ World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Victor Boniface stayed on the bench the entire game, which led to criticism on social media towards Finidi George and his coaching team.

Boniface had a great season in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 21 goals and making 10 assists, helping the team win both the Bundesliga and German Cup.

Finidi George said he planned to bring Boniface in, but had to change plans when Ajayi reported he couldn’t continue playing.

“We thought about bringing him in, he was supposed to come in, but when we had Ajayi complain that he couldn’t continue, we had to reverse that,” George explained.

The Super Eagles coach also stressed that player selection is based on their performance, not pressure from fans or the media.

He said, “For me, it’s what you can give to me on the field of play. Everybody wants this player or that player to play, but at the end of the day, if the player is not performing, you guys will still be shouting take him off. So let us do our job. We know who is good to go.”

Finidi confirmed that  Boniface will get a chance to play in the next match against Benin Republic on Monday if he’s ready.

“We have another game definitely if he’s up and doing he’s going to play,” he added.

Finidi George and his team are under pressure after a poor start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, sitting fifth in Group C with three points from three games.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru saved the team from defeat with a goal right after the second half started, following Themba Zwane’s first-half goal for South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The Super Eagles missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and need to start winning their matches, beginning with the game against Benin Republic on Monday, to have a chance of qualifying.

According to FIFA, the group winners will qualify for the World Cup automatically, while the four best-ranked runners-up will enter a play-off.

The winners of the play-offs will compete in an intercontinental tournament where six nations will fight for two places.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigeria’s Super Eagles recently secured a 2-1 victory against the Black Stars of Ghana in a friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.