Victor Boniface, along with fellow countryman Nathan Tella, Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba, Ivory Coast’s Amine Adli, and Morocco’s Odilon Kossounou, are set to embark on a journey to Africa for the 2023 AFCON, commencing in Ivory Coast on January 13, 2024.
Bayer Leverkusen faces not only the challenge of maintaining their lead in the German Bundesliga without star striker Victor Boniface, a four-time Rookie of the Month winner, but also coping without four other key players during the AFCON.
Running from January 13th to February 11th, the AFCON could lead to the absence of these players in crucial Bayer Leverkusen league matches against Leipzig and Bayern Munich, as well as a Cup tie against the high-flying Stuttgart.
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Despite the challenges, Xabi Alonso remains confident in the depth of his squad and asserts that there are capable players ready to step up in the absence of the aforementioned players.
Acknowledging the game calendar, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder stated, “We are losing some players (for the AFCON), but we have seen that all players can play. We will decide so that we have a competitive team.”
This confidence was substantiated on Thursday when Bayer Leverkusen’s reserve team convincingly defeated Molde, a Norwegian team, 5-1 in their final Europa League group match. Alonso, emphasizing his preparedness for such situations, commented, “I’m not crying,” signaling his acceptance of the challenge posed by the absence of five players due to the AFCON, a circumstance he anticipated from the beginning of the season.