Victor Boniface: Still Not Full-blown Eagle

  In spite of his club football exploits, Victor Boniface has never been lucky when it comes to international football. Aside from a 26 minute cameo in September last year, the closest he came was being in camp for the 2023 AFCON, but days to the Cote d’Ivoire party an abductor injury put paid to his dream. Despite the injury forcing him to miss 11 Bundesliga games, the 23-year-old still contributed 11 goals and nine assists in 18 league matches in Leverkusen’s run to the title. Little wonder he was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season. However, he was still an unused substitute in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa yesterday. The big question remains when will Boniface finally become a full grown Eagle?  

Considering Victor Boniface’s impressive goalscoring record for Bayer Leverkusen this season, many soccer loving Nigerians are counting on him to deliver the much-needed goals in the double header world Cup qualifier encounter against South Africa and Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, and Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, respectively.

Indeed, there is another challenge before the 23-three-year old, as he must also prove that he is a worthy replacement for injured Victor Osimhen in the two matches.

However, while Boniface’s club success has been remarkable, his journey with the Nigerian national team has faced some challenges.

He was a key player in Nigeria’s initial FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, contributing to two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, an injury ruled him out of the Africa Cup of Nations, a setback he deeply regrets.

The striker told afrik-foot.com, ahead of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Uyo, that missing the Africa Cup of Nations was a huge disappointment for him and he wished he was there to help the team even though they did well to reach the final.

“It’s a regret, but they did well without me. They reached the final, and although they didn’t win, their performance was amazing and I am proud of them,” Boniface stated.

Boniface is now back with the Super Eagles and was expected to lead the attack against Bafana Bafana yesterday, stepping in for the injured first-choice striker, Victor Osimhen but it was not to be as he was an unused substitute.

The former Union Saint-Gilloise forward emphasised the importance of a collective team effort to secure a win.

“It is a crucial game for us, and we have to be at our best, “Boniface said.

“We need to show what we are capable of. “It’s not just about me; it’s about the whole team. We will give our hundred percent.

“I am glad to be back with the team and will do my best on match day.” the striker added.

Boniface’s impressive performance for Levekusen has earned him a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, alongside Serhou Guirassy as the two African players on the list.

The 23-year-old made the cut alongside six other Leverkusen players on account of their heroics for the new German champions.

The Bundesliga has been honouring the best young players in the league in 2023/24 with the Rookie of the Month Award, and with four monthly wins to his name this term, it’s not surprising to see Boniface voted the overall winner in what has been an incredible campaign.

The Rookie of the Month for August, September, October and November – Boniface really hit the ground running after his summer move to Leverkusen from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise. The striker scored seven goals and provided five assists in 12 Bundesliga appearances during his Rookie of the Month reign, and also made his senior debut for Nigeria in September. He kept going in December with a further three strikes and two more provisions in four league outings.

Boniface’s superb start to life in Germany then hit a major stumbling block after he picked up a muscle injury in January that sidelined him until April, meaning he also missed the Africa Cup of Nations.

But the 23-year-old returned in expected fashion, scoring a goal and setting up another on his comeback. His contributions in front of goal have been a major factor in Leverkusen winning the Bundesliga for the first time and next season the Werkself will be able to unleash Boniface on opponents in the UEFA Champions League. 

The Bayer Leverkusen striker, finally reacted to losing the Europa trophy to Atlanta’s Ademola Lookman

Asked Boniface if it was difficult to accept the defeat, given that all three goals were scored by his national team colleague.

Boniface said losing the match was not easy to bear, adding that it did not matter whether the goals were scored by a Nigerian or someone else.

Lookman scored a hat-trick in the final of Europe’s second-tier competition, to help La Dea beat Boniface’s Leverkusen. The Ondo-born striker was not trusted from the start and could not manage to right the tide when he was introduced at half-time, as his team suffered their first and only defeat of the season to lose the Europa

“For me, it doesn’t matter who scored us or anything. It was like an important game, to complete the treble. It’s part of the game, and we lost to Atalanta; they were a really good side.

“I think during the first 15-20 minutes, they were much better than us, but I think I will learn from our mistake. We are really proud of ourselves, of what we achieved the whole season, and we are really happy with ourselves.”