BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Friday Nigeria striker Victor Boniface was “close to getting back on the pitch” and could return in March.
Boniface injured his adductor while preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in January and has been out since.
Originally scheduled to return sometime in April, Alonso said the 23-year-old could be fit for Leverkusen’s home clash with Hoffenheim on March 30.
“He’s not ready yet, but next week we have an international break and we’ll use the time to take a step forward with him.
“Maybe for Hoffenheim if everything goes well, but we’ll see.
“We need to have a bit more patience but he’s close to getting back on the pitch.”
Moving from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer, Boniface has had an excellent start to life in Leverkusen, scoring 16 goals and laying on eight assists in 23 games in all competitions.
Boniface was called up to the Nigeria squad for the first time this season but missed the Super Eagles’ run to the final, where they lost to Ivory Coast.
Leverkusen are on track for a maiden German top-flight title, sitting 10 points clear of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga with nine games remaining.
Alonso’s side on Thursday qualified for the quarter finals of the Europa League where they will face West Ham and have made it to the final four of the German Cup where they host second-division Fortuna Duesseldorf.
Boniface ‘close’ to return, says Leverkusen coach Alonso
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Boniface ‘close’ to return, says Leverkusen coach Alonso
- Boniface injured his adductor while preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in January
- Alonso said the 23-year-old could be fit for Leverkusen’s home clash with Hoffenheim on March 30
UAE dethrone Algeria as Jordan edge Iraq to reach Arab Cup semi-finals
- Jordan repeat Asian Cup triumph over Iraq with a 1-0 victory, Ali Olwan scoring from the spot for the 4th time in 4 consecutive matches
- UAE end Algeria’s reign as Arab Cup champions with a 7-6 penalty-shootout win after the game ends 1-1
DOHA: The UAE and Jordan booked their places in the Arab Cup semi-finals on a dramatic day of quarter-final action in which the defending champions were eliminated and a regional rivalry was renewed.
Jordan repeated their Asian Cup triumph over Iraq with another narrow victory, as Ali Olwan extended his remarkable streak of scoring from the spot to four consecutive matches.
His first-half penalty was the only goal in a cagey encounter with few clear-cut chances for either side. Jordan dominated early on but were dealt a blow when star forward Yazan Al-Naimat was forced off with a knee injury.
Iraq improved after the break, with the talismanic Ali Jasim injecting a sense of urgency and twice drawing smart saves from Yazeed Abulaila, first with a fierce long-range strike and then a driven effort moments later.
Jordan nearly sealed the victory with a second goal late on when Mohannad Abu Taha, who scored with a spectacular long-range strike earlier in the tournament, hammered another powerful attempt just wide.
Nevertheless, the Jordanians held firm to set up a semi-final clash with Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The second quarter-final delivered even more drama, as the UAE ended Algeria’s reign as Arab Cup champions with a sudden-death, penalty-shootout win.
Algeria dominated the opening half and twice found the net, only for both goals to be ruled out. They finally made their pressure count just 50 seconds after the restart, when Adil Boulbina fired home after Yacine Brahimi’s strike was parried into his path.
The UAE had struggled to gain a foothold in the game but hit back through Bruno, who converted a pinpoint, inswinging cross from Yahya Al-Ghassani midway through the second half.
As Algeria pressed for a winner they were nearly punished at the end of regulation time when Lucas Pimenta’s fine header forced a sharp save from Farid Chaal.
Extra time offered chances for Brahimi and substitute Zakaria Draoui to put Algeria ahead again, but the breakthrough never came.
And so to the shootout, in which the UAE goalkeeper, Hamad Almeqbaali, denied Mohammed Khacef before Richard Akonnor coolly dispatched the decisive kick to make it 7-6 on penalties and set up a semi-final clash with Morocco, also on Monday.
