Recently, Victor Boniface’s football career has been erratic; the most recent setback with his failed transfer to AC Milan has ignited much discussion on Nigerian media and social networks.
Reports surfaced that the agreement fell apart over worries about a past knee surgery, with certain detractors immediately calling the Bayer Leverkusen striker as “unserious” regarding his career.
Boniface, though, responded to the criticism. On Instagram, he retorted in Nigerian pidgin, stating that he was speaking to those mocking him not the Italian club. His words — “Boniface no serious he dey everywhere. I’m being linked to clubs like Leverkusen and Milan, but I’m not serious about it. So, if I were a club for Jupiter, I’d be playing. Clowns
everywhere. If I no serious and I dey this level make I remain like that.” — was a stinging reply to his critics.
Regretfully, popular transfer expert Fabrizio Romano misinterpreted the post and claimed the statement meant Boniface failed Milan’s medicals. Many Nigerians fast noted that translation had eliminated the complexity of pidgin English, and the transfer guru had it all wrong.
The News Chronicle observed that this deception merely exacerbated the condemnation and overshadowed the genuine hardships the young striker had overcome recently. Three great disappointments Boniface has experienced in the last 20 months: being dropped from Nigeria’s AFCON team at the eleventh hour, witnessing a planned transfer to Al Nassr collapse, and now seeing a potential move to AC Milan fade apart. For any player, especially one still in his early 20s, such disappointments could be taxing both psychologically and emotionally.
On Twitter and other platforms, a wave of support has arrived notwithstanding the uproar; supporters are reminding opponents that professional football is far more difficult than it appears to be from the outside. They argue that Boniface possesses undeniably talent and that writing him off as joking lowers the necessary resiliency to perform at the highest level.
Abuja-based football analyst David Ajayi, also known as Big Daddy, provided another point of view and discussed his thoughts with The News Chronicle on a WhatsApp chat. He pointed out individuals who have been quick to dismiss Boniface’s achievements, noting that getting spotted by a club like AC Milan confirms his quality. Ajayi said that being considered for signing, whether permanent or on loan, by a team like Milan implies they see potential. “It is never easy to reach that stage, and people must respect that.”
Ajayi also acknowledged that Boniface’s lighthearted social media presence often feeds detractors. He underlined, however, that it is unfair to match a player’s online presence with their dedication to their job. “He might joke around online, but that does not erase his discipline on the pitch,” Ajayi added.
Ajayi advises the Nigerian star to reduce his social media activity so as to silence unjustified critics and let his football ability speak for itself. “The boy has talent, and he is still very young. If he keeps his focus, these setbacks will one day be remembered as just part of the story of his rise,” Ajayi concluded.
