‘A real problem for opposition defences’- Ex Liverpool and Real Madrid star hails Victor Boniface
Victor Boniface, who recently joined Bayer Leverkusen, has been providing the Bundesliga team with a valuable performance thus far
Bayer Leverkusen manager, Xabi Alonso, and the club sporting director, Simon Rolfes, have both lauded Nigerian striker Victor Boniface following his brace against Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend, Soccernet.ng reports.
Boniface has made a flying start to his Bayer Leverkusen career, with three goals and one assist in three starts for Die Wekrself. The twenty-two-year-old continued his fine form with a brace as Bayer Leverkusen sent Borussia Mönchengladbach packing, with a 3-0 win in the Rhine derby at Borussia Park on Saturday.
Victor Okoh Boniface, was the 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League joint-top scorer, alongside Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, with both players scoring six goals. Boniface achieved the feat in ten games, and his brilliant performances earned him a €20m move from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
First start, and the first goal in the DFB-Pokal first round for the Nigerian international in a Leverkusen jersey, putting one past Teutonia Ottensen before registering an assist on his Bundesliga debut, and then hitting the turtle in his second game, bagging a brace against DieFohlen.
Speaking with Bundesliga.com, after his side’s 3-0 triumph, the Liverpool legend hailed the Nigerian for his attributes on the pitch. He said;
“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.”
The club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes wasted no time in weighing in on Boniface’s brilliance. He added;
“He’s been on our radar for some time. His performance against us absolutely confirmed our positive assessment. Victor is a very commanding and difficult-to-handle centre forward who will be a challenge for every defender with his physicality. He’s also quick and has good technique.”
Xavi Alonso and Boniface will hope to continue their winning streak in the Bundesliga as they face SV Darmstadt this weekend.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.