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Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso talks about the coming AFCON and the possibility of losing key players to the tournament.
Bayer Leverkusen are flying this season under Spanish manager Xabi Alonso, and their performances have been powered, in part, by African stars.
Their exploits this season have them at the top of the Bundesliga, four points ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich.
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20:30 - 14.12.2023
UEL: Nathan Tella shines as Boniface watches Hlozek-inspired Bayer Leverkusen stay perfect
Victor Boniface was a spectator while Nathan Tella, Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek led Bayer Leverkusen to a comprehensive victory against Molde in the UEL.
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09:31 - 13.12.2023
Osimhen and Oshoala headline Top 10 Most Influential Nigerian Footballers of 2023 as Alozie and Boniface make list
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Alonso’s side could be the first team aside from the Bavarians to be crowned champions of the German top flight in ten years, but the coming AFCON could prove a stumbling block; Alonso, however, is unfazed.
What Xabi Alonso said about the AFCON
Cote d'Ivoire is set to host 23 of the top footballing nations on the continent and their stars for the biggest price in African football from January 13th to February 11th, 2024.
The serialised event that is a source of joy for Africans with each instalment is infamously a source of headache for European clubs, who have to be without their top stars for a duration during a crucial period of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen are set to become one such club hit with this handicap at the next AFCON, as they have five players who could be on the plane to Cote d’Ivoire.
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Nigeria’s Victor Boniface has been integral to Leverkusen’s successes this season, scoring eight goals and setting up six chances leading to a goal in the league so far. He is expected to be named by Jose Peseiro in the Super Eagles’s squad list for the tournament, as well as Nathan Tella, who won his first cap recently.
Bayer’s star centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, who is a Burkinabe, Ivory Coast’s Amine Adli, and Moroccan defender Odilon Kossounou could all also be at the tournament. Faced with this possibility, Alonso remained unfazed, saying he trusted their squad was deep enough to assuage the possible loss.
“That’s the game calendar,” Alonso said, per Kicker.
“We are losing some players, but we have seen that all players can play. We will decide so that we have a competitive team. I’m not crying. I’m not a victim. We have enough players.”
Meanwhile, Victor Boniface's beautiful girlfriend, Rikke Hermine, has revealed her favourite Afrobeats artiste.
Pulse Sports reported that Boniface is in a relationship with a Norwegian lady known as Rikke Hermine Jansen.
Although not much is known about the 20-year-old beauty, she recently revealed her love for Nigerian music.
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