Nigeria vs South Africa: Finidi George reveals why Boniface didn't start

Newly appointed Nigeria head coach Finidi George faced scrutiny after a surprising 1-1 draw with South Africa in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as well as why Victor Boniface didn't feature in the game.

Finidi George's tenure as the Super Eagles manager began on a disappointing note as his team drew 1-1 with South Africa in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Friday night.

Amazingly, the Super Eagles boss opted not to use Bayer Leverkusen's prolific striker Victor Boniface, who scored 30 goals in various competitions for the Bundesliga champions last season and also earned the award for the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season, leaving him on the bench during the crucial qualifier in Uyo.

Following the Nigeria vs South Africa match, Finidi faced intense scrutiny from reporters over his puzzling decision to overlook Boniface, who could only watch from the sidelines.

The Super Eagles head coach stated, "He was supposed to come in but when we heard [Semi] Ajayi complain that he had a knock, he couldn't continue. So we had to reverse that. For me it is what you can give to me on the field, everyone wants this 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’.”

The former Enyimba player and NPFL champion assured that the 23-year-old would get his opportunity in the next game against Benin Republic and requested that the media let them perform their duties.

What are the chances of Nigeria qualifying for the World Cup 2026?

Nigeria, having failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has secured just three points out of a possible nine in their first three qualifiers for the 2026 tournament. This has raised questions as to if Nigeria can still qualify for what has been categorised as the biggest tournament in football history.

Nigeria currently sits in 5th place on the Group C log with just three points earned in three games played. The squad will need to win all games left to ensure World Cup 2026 qualification.

Read the Latest Sports News and Get Fresh updates as they drop via Twitter and Facebook