'It's unacceptable' - Bayer CEO considering legal action to stop Boniface, Tella from Super Eagles duty at AFCON

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro is considering legal action to prevent Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella from representing the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

While Boniface is a shoo-in to be named in Nigeria's traveling squad to Ivory Coast, his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Tella is not guaranteed a roster spot considering that he made his debut just this month. 

Apart from the two attack-minded Nigerian players, three other Bayer Leverkusen stars could potentially represent their countries at the AFCON including Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast), Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Amine Adli (Morocco).

Boniface and Tella could miss five Bundesliga matches if the Super Eagles go all the way to the Africa Cup of Nations final. 

Carro, who is also on the board of the influential European Club Association (ECA), criticized the timing of the Africa Cup of Nations which will hold from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

"It is unacceptable that the Africa Cup is being played in the middle of the season, "Carro told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, via Sport1.

"In order to change that, I will enter into a dispute with FIFA. We are also checking whether there is a legal chance of not having to release the players.

"That is not realistic. And in principle I don’t want to prevent anyone from taking this step."

Boniface is one of the first names on manager Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen teamsheet, having started all their games in the Bundesliga this season, while Tella has yet to break into the starting lineup following his summer move from Southampton.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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