Super Eagles star Victor Boniface has openly addressed his absence from the prestigious 2024 CAF Player of the Year shortlist.
Although the announcement stirred disappointment among fans, the Bayer Leverkusen star had his own humorous take on why his name was left out, sparking widespread reactions across social media, Footballrover reports.
CAF recently unveiled the top ten contenders for this year’s award, to be held in Morocco.
Surprisingly, despite Boniface’s remarkable achievements throughout the 2023/24 season, his name did not appear on the list.
Rather, his Nigerian counterparts, Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong, secured their places among Africa’s elite players.
The Bundesliga star’s response, however, took a playful turn when he engaged with a post from Leagues Reporter, a sports media handle on the X platform, which had highlighted the striker’s achievements.
Listing his accolades—a Bundesliga title, DFB-Pokal trophy, a Europa League silver medal, 21 goals, and 10 assists in 34 appearances—the post emphasised the unexpected nature of his exclusion.
Despite his outstanding accomplishments, the Nigerian international humorously attributed his absence to his non-participation in the 2023 AFCON tournament.
“No worry, I no play AFCON. Na why I dey wait for memes d’Or,” he joked, translating to mean, “It’s because I didn’t play AFCON, so I’ll wait for the memes d’Or.”
Rookie of the season
Team of the season
No worry I no play AFCON
Na why I dey wait for memes d or— Victor Boniface (@boniface_jrn) October 24, 2024
Boniface: CAF player of the year snub, and the memes d’Or
In addition to his playful comment, the 23-year-old reminded fans of his Bundesliga accolades, earning Rookie of the Season and a spot in the Team of the Season. 
Though he missed out on the CAF player of the year nomination, the Nigerian forward’s spirit remained upbeat as he continued to celebrate his milestones.
The 2024 CAF Awards will cover achievements between January and October 2024, with winners announced on December 16 in Marrakech.
I don tell you say na memes d or
I dey wait for— Victor Boniface (@boniface_jrn) October 24, 2024
While Super Eagles forward may be missing from the lineup, his light-hearted reaction has kept fans entertained even in the face of the CAF award exclusion.
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