Terem Moffi or Cyriel Dessers: Who is the best to replace Victor Boniface after early AFCON exit

Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface is set to miss the AFCON tournament after picking up a muscle injury in Super Eagles’ training camp in Abu Dhabi and will spend about six weeks on the sidelines.

With Taiwo Awoniyi also missing the tournament after having surgery on a recurring groin injury, Soccernet.ng looks at two Nigerian strikers who can fill the void left by the in-form Bayer Leverkusen striker.

Terem Moffi

The OGC Nice striker was included in Jose Peseiro’s 40-man Provisional AFCON squad list but missed out on the final 25-man squad list, and the decision reportedly left him heartbroken. The 24-year-old has not been a central figure in the Super Eagles and with Peseiro’s preference to play with two strikers up-front, it could be Moffi’s time to shine.

Kelechi Iheanaco is in a race against time to get back to full fitness, and although Moffi has a slightly different playing profile from Victor Boniface, his inclusion in Peseiro’s provisional squad makes him the most likely player to replace the injured Boniface. Moffi scored 18 goals across all competitions for OGC Nice last year.

Cyriel Dessers

The Nigerian striker joined Rangers last summer. Despite initially struggling to find his feet, he has settled in just fine, bagging eight goal contributions in fourteen league starts for Philippe Clement’s side.

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Dessers made his debut for the Super Eagles in 2020 after coming off the bench in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Tunisia under the guidance of Gernot Rohr. Since the departure of the German tactician, the 29-year-old didn’t get a national call-up.

The former Feyenoord striker was included in Jose Peseiro’s 40-man provisional AFCON squad list and will be hoping for another shot with the Super Eagles in Ivory Coast.