Knowledge correct as of January 28, 2025
Victor BonifaceAge: 24 (born 23 December 2000)Club: Bayer LeverkusenPosition: StrikerCountry: Nigeria (11 caps, one goal)Key statsAfter cutting his teeth in the game at Real Sapphire in his homeland, Boniface made his breakthrough in the European game at Norwegian top-flight side Bodø/Glimt, where he racked up 23 goals and eight assists in 66 games between 2019 and 2022. That earned him a move to Belgian first division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in summer 2022 – and the goals continued to flow. The 6’2” forward hit a hat-trick on his debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game against Klaksvik, a haul that formed part of his 22 strikes and 12 assists in 55 competitive appearances for Union.
Boniface proved his elite-level credentials in the Europa League in particular, providing two goals and two assists in four meetings with Union Berlin in the group stage and round of 16, while also hitting the target against Leverkusen in the quarter-finals.Those successes earned him a move to Leverkusen, and is fair to say he and his new teammates hit the ground running. Three braces came his way in his opening six matches as Leverkusen raced to the top of the Bundesliga, which set to the tone for the remainder of the campaign.
Injuries kept him on the sidelines for a period, however, he still finished the crusade with 14 goals in 23 championship games and a Bundesliga-winning medal, as well as the recruit value of the year he won month by month 4 times. He also scored twice in Leverkusen’s career in their DFB Cup triumph, and made five moves in the UEFA Europa League.
The 2024/25 tenure has not reached absolutely the same H8s, with Bonifacio forced to spend time on the sidelines, but he still achieved 8 purposes in 15 outings in all competitions, while Leverkusen remain in search of the Bundesliga name. At the international level, Boniface has 11 caps, making his deyet in September 2023 oppose São Tomé und Príncipe, and scoring his sole purpose in a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia a month later. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from doing so at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, where Nigeria came to the last before going to waste in opposition to Ivory Coast.
Plays a bit like: Robert LewandowskiLewandowski is an all-time Bundesliga great to which very few can compare, but Boniface does share plenty of traits with the legendary Pole. He is an all-round centre forward, good with both feet, physically powerful, good in the air and possesses a surprisingly good dribbling ability. While the 24-year-old may have a long way to go to match Lewandowski’s achievements, he has already had a decisive impact on his team’s fortunes.Watch: All of Victor Boniface’s Bundesliga goals
Did you know? While Leverkusen celebrated his first name of the Bundesliga last quarter, Boniface invited his young man from Nigeria to percentage of his special moment. “It was the first to give me an intelligent platform to start showing my talents. To pay it, I looked for it. After they brought it, so that I can see how far I have arrived and be a component of the birthday components with me,” he said The Central Center to Bundesliga. com last year.
What they say
“Victor is a genuine challenge for opposition defenses. It is powerful, fast and in intensity races. He has an intelligent mentality and works for the team, not for himself. ” – Leverkusen’s chief coach, Xabi Alonso, “He is a reservoir, and the penalty surface is his friend. ” – Leverkusen’s teammate, Robert Andrich, “loves football and needs to enjoy every moment in the field. Of course, we also see how hard it also works, defensive. And marks the decisive objectives. You can do things like if you score the goals.
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