Doubt hangs over Boniface Super Eagles future after announcing retirement on social media

By Femi Fabunmi

Victor Boniface’s social media post hinting at retiring from the Super Eagles of Nigeria shortly after the international friendly with Russia has continued to generate divided reactions amongst Nigerian football fans, PM News has learnt.

Although, the player deleted the post hours after, fans have continued to make it a topic of discourse.

Some fans are of the opinion that the player should exit honourably but others felt he still has something to offer the national team.

Also lending his voice on the subject matter, Eric Chelle’s agent, Sidibe, has strongly denied claims that the Super Eagles forward has been dropped ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled to hold against Lesotho and South Africa in September 2026.

Moreso, recent reports alleged that Chelle was unhappy with Boniface’s performance particularly his pressing, defensive effort, and work rate during Nigeria’s 1-1 friendly against Russia in Moscow recently.

Boniface, who played just over an hour in the match, has now gone 13 games without scoring for Nigeria, extending his goal drought for the national team.

Adding to the speculation was a now-deleted social media post by Boniface, in which the Bayer Leverkusen striker jokingly stated that he was “retiring from international football.

” Known for his humorous nature, the comment was clearly made in jest, but it nonetheless sparked further rumors about his future with the national team.

Local media quickly seized on the post, suggesting that Boniface might no longer be part of Chelle’s plans for Nigeria’s upcoming September fixtures.

Sidibe, however, dismissed these claims outright in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

“Eric is a professional he doesn’t operate that way. If he had anything to say, you would hear it from him directly through an interview or audio recording,” he said.

“Ninety-nine percent of what is reported as something Eric said is false. He only speaks during official press conferences before or after matches.”

Victor Boniface, 24, made his debut for Nigeria in September 2023 during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against São Tomé and Príncipe.