Victor Boniface: Who is Bayer Leverkusen’s Nigerian Bundesliga champion?
Victor Boniface goals helped fire Bayer Leverkusen to a Bundesliga and DFB Cup double last term and is now recognised as one of the German top flight's most dangerous forwards. So what's the lowdown on the Nigerian striker?
Data correct as of 28 January 2025
Victor Boniface
Age: 24 (born 23 December 2000)
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Striker
Country: Nigeria (11 caps, one goal)
Key stats
After 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 significant period, but he still ended the campaign with 14 goals in 23 league matches and a Bundesliga winner's medal, as well as the Rookie of the Year award having won the Monthly award on four separate occasions. He also netted twice in Leverkusen's run to their DFB Cup triumph, and bagged five strikes in the UEFA Europa League.
The 2024/25 term has not reached quite the same heights, with Boniface again forced to spend time on the sidelines, but he has still managed eight goals in 15 outings across all competitions as Leverkusen remain in the hunt for the Bundesliga title. At international level, Boniface has 11 caps, making his debut in September 2023 against São Tomé und Príncipe, and scoring his only goal in a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia a month later. Unfortunately, injury prevented him from participating at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, where Nigeria reached the final before losing to Ivory Coast.
Plays a bit like: Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski 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
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Did you know?
As Leverkusen celebrated their maiden Bundesliga title last term, Boniface invited his youth coach from Nigeria to share his special moment. "He was the first one that gave me a really good platform to start showcasing my talents. To pay him back, I wanted to bring him so he can see how far I’ve come and to be part of the celebration with me," the centre-forward told bundesliga.com last year.
What they're saying
"Victor's a real problem for opposition defences. He's powerful, quick and makes runs from deep. He has a good mentality and works for the team, not for himself." - Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso
"He is a tank, and the penalty area is his friend." - Leverkusen teammate Robert Andrich
"He enjoys football and wants to enjoy every moment on the pitch. Of course we also see how hard he works, defensively too. And he scores the decisive goals. He can do things like that if he scores the goals up front and gets us the next three points." - Leverkusen teammate Granit Xhaka
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