Tag: Boniface

Milan continue to seek strikers and their first choice is Victor Boniface, but Bayer Leverkusen have a high valuation, with other candidates including Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Tolu Arokodare of Genk.

The search for a new centre-forward has stuttered with only early approaches for Juventus outcast Dusan Vlahovic and Udinese giant Lorenzo Lucca.

The favourite for director of sport Igli Tare is Boniface, but the 24-year-old Nigeria international would definitely not come cheap.

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Bayer Leverkusen know they can charge a huge fee for the striker, who is under contract until June 2028 and in the most recent campaign scored 11 goals in 27 competitive games.

His form was badly affected by a serious muscular injury in November 2024.

Milan therefore asked around after other candidates, including Jackson, who is expected to be on his way out from Chelsea.

An intermediary also proposed Genk-owned Arokodare, another Nigeria international, to both Milan and Napoli.

Striker Victor Boniface has reportedly retired from international football after Nigeria settled for a 1-1 draw against Russia in friendly match.

He posted on his instagram page: “Proud to play for my country and a dream for me also.

“Really enjoyed every moment the good and the bad

“Thanks a lot Thank you All

“I don hang boot”

The Bayer Leverkusen striker led the Super Eagles attack tonight against Russia but failed to score.

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Rather his substitute Tolu Arokodare went on to draw Nigeria level in the 71st minute.

Boniface made his debut on 10 September 2023, coming on in the 64th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi.

He provided an assist in that match for Samuel Chukwueze.

However, at the time of filling this report, the player has deleted the post from his instagram page, raising questions on his real intention.

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is thrilled with the current form of Super Eagles attacker, Victor Boniface and insisted  that  the Nigerian can now help the German side from the start than his recent second half appearances.

The Super Eagles forward has recently struggled with form due to injury but found the net last weekend, signalling his return to peak performance.

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Alonso praised the partnership between Boniface and Patrik Schick, emphasizing the Nigerian striker’s versatility and readiness to start matches.

“I liked both [Boniface and Schick] against Bochum, especially in the second half,” Alonso told BILD. “Boni is back at a good level and can certainly play from the start. With him, we have flexibility—he can play as a centre-forward or as a winger.”

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has reacted with humour after learning that a Nigerian boy sold the boots he gifted him to a Rwandan player for $100.  

The boy received the boots from Boniface after Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda but admitted to selling them to the Rwandan player.

Faced with hunger and financial challenges, the boy had no choice but to sell the boots to a Rwandan player.  

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Boniface playfully reacted to the video, asking people to help him track down the boy so he could claim a 10% cut from the sale.

“Abeg, make una find this boy for me. Make he drop 10% of the money ooo,” Boniface wrote, humorously adding that he would have given the boy a jersey but he might sell it again.

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has doused the  disagreement between Super Eagles attacker Victor Boniface and Argentine star Emil Buendia following  their away win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Leverkusen secured a 4-1 win through the goals of Nathan Tella, Nordi Mukiele, Patrik Schick, and Aleix Garcia, while Hugo Ekitike netted Frankfurt’s only goal.

However, their visit to Deutsche Bank Park wasn’t without drama. Late in the match, Boniface and Buendia clashed after getting in each other’s way while attempting to score a fifth goal.

Boniface was seen pointing and pushing Buendia, who responded with a shake of his head.

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Addressing the incident, Alonso said, “I spoke with Boni. I don’t have all the details, but he wanted to shoot. These things happen. We don’t want to make a big deal out of it. We’re staying calm, and on Monday, we move forward.”

Boniface has had a challenging spell at Leverkusen, despite maintaining an impressive goal-per-game ratio this season.

After playing a key role in their title-winning campaign last year, the 24-year-old has lost his starting spot to Schick, who has scored 22 goals in 32 appearances.

Boniface on his part has scored nine goals with one assist from 19 games in all competitions. 

Bayer Leverkusen must win against Eintracht Frankfurt to keep their faint hopes of winning the Bundesliga alive when they travel to Deutsche Bank Park today.

The Eagles are third with 42 points but were comfortably beaten 4-0 by league-leaders Bayern Munich last Sunday, whereas Leverkusen defeated Holstein Kiel 2-0 last Saturday and are second with 50 points but trail Bayern by eight points.

Eintracht Frankfurt kept Bayern at bay until first-half stoppage time, but they struggled to contain the Bavarians in the second half, facing six big chances while creating none of their own.

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The hosts have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their past six outings, a period in which they conceded 11 goals.

Head coach Dino Toppmoller’s side had scored in their prior 21 league fixtures, and their return of 49 Bundesliga goals makes them the top flight’s third best offensive club.

The Eagles’ recent form has been subpar considering they have drawn three, lost two and won just one of their last six games.

Toppmoller’s team boast a phenomenal record at home, with the club winning nine and drawing two of their past 12 at Deutsche Bank Park.

Bayer Leverkusen were dominant against Holstein Kiel, limiting their opponents to just one attempt from inside the box while their 14 shots inside Holstein’s penalty area totalled 1.69 xG.

  Bayer  Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso would be most  pleased  that  striker Victor Boniface still has his scoring mojo  after he returned to action on Matchday 20, following more than three months on the sidelines.

Boniface scored the opening goal against Hoffenheim, taking him to 30 goals in 50 competitive outings for Leverkusen much to the delight of Alonso  who hinted there is a distinct possibility of pairing the Nigeria international striker with  top Czech’s marksman Patrik Schick who was  awarded  the Bundesliga  Goal of the month of January only yesterday.

Pressed  if he might be willing to field both players together, Alonso labelled the prospect “a possibility” and  that could even be a possibility tomorrow in what  would be the biggest match in the Bundesliga  this weekend.

Champions Bayer Leverkusen will be desperate to narrow the eight-point gap to leaders Bayern Munich when they host the Bavarians tomorrow  in a top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash.

Xabi Alonso’s team are in second place on 46 points, with Bayern, who are determined to re-establish their dominance after Leverkusen’s domestic double triumph last season, top on 54.

But the hosts will not have just the home fans in their favour tomorrow  as they look to cut Bayern’s lead to five points and keep the title race tight.

They will also be significantly fresher than Bayern, having avoided the Champions League playoffs this week with an automatic last-16 qualification.

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The Bavarians instead have to play three key matches in eight days, having beaten Celtic 2-1 on Wednesday in Glasgow for their first leg playoff ahead of tomorrow’s big game.

Just three days after their trip to Leverkusen, Bayern face Celtic again, this time in Munich on Tuesday, for a spot in the Champions League Round of 16.

A Bayern win tomorrow  would see the gap over Leverkusen grow to 11 points after 22 league games, which would mean the fourth biggest lead at this stage of the season in the history of the Bundesliga.

Alonso, however, has not lost any of his five games against Bayern in all competitions as Leverkusen coach.

“We know our current position and look forward to the game,” said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka. “It is a special match for the entire country and we have to do our job and see what we get after 90 minutes.

“Even last season one of our strengths was not to look at the standings too much. We know we have to beat Bayern to stay in the race and we are not going into this game to get a draw,” he told broadcaster Sky.

“It is in our hands to step on the gas and believe in success,” Xhaka said.

Vincent Kompany’s Bayern are in good form, having won their last seven straight league games. They have also seen a number of long-term injured players, including defenders Josip Stanisic and Hiroki Ito, return to action in recent weeks.

Bayern equally boast the division’s top scorer, Harry Kane. The Englishman has already struck 21 times this season, including nine penalties – the highest tally of spot-kicks scored by a single player for 25 years. Kane scored two from 12 yards against Werder Bremen on Matchday 21 and is responsible for almost a third of his side’s Bundesliga tally this term.

In terms of Expected Goals (xG), Bayern are 2.48 up on a projection of 62.52 (65 scored), but are in the red for goals conceded (13.77, 19 conceded). Leverkusen are also overachieving in goals scored (43.53, 49 scored) and underperforming for goals conceded (24.67, 27). There’s work to be done at the back for both.

Fellow Champions League club Borussia Dortmund, buoyed by their 3-0 first-leg playoff win at Sporting on Tuesday, will be desperate for points when they visit VfL Bochum in the mini Ruhr Valley derby tomorrow.

Dortmund are in 11^th  place on 29 points, seven points off the top four, and run the risk of missing out on the Champions League spots for next season

Coach Xabi Alonso has hinted  about  a possible return to action  for Nigeria International striker, Victor Boniface, when his Bayer Leverkusen travel to Red Bull Arena  today to take on RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

Boniface has been  out injured since November 2024 and has  missed  almost a dozen matches due to a thigh problem . Though  listed  in mid week’s  UEFA Champions League tie away to  Atletico Madrid,  the  24-year-old did not see  action as Leverkusen eventually lost 2-1.

Boniface had a decent start to the season, helping Leverkusen with eight goals and one assist in 15 appearances and  his return to action would be a  booster  for the German champions.

Read Also: Boniface to return next week, says Alonso

The Spaniard confirmed Boniface was in the squad and could play for the first time since been sidelined since November with a thigh muscle injury.

“Yes. He is in the squad,” Alonso told a press conference when asked whether Boniface could start today. His team will look to bounce back after Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid.

Injured Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface will not return for  today’s Borussia Dortmund clash, while Granit Xhaka is a doubt, coach Xabi Alonso said.

Boniface has not played for the defending German champions since returning with a leg injury from international duty with Nigeria in November.

Earlier in January, the club said the 24-year-old suffered a “small setback” in his recovery. Alonso on Thursday confirmed Boniface was still a few games away from returning.

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 “He needs a bit more time. We need to be patient in order to get him back and at his best,” said Alonso.

Alonso said he “didn’t know” if Boniface would return for next week’s games against Mainz and Borussia Monchengladbach, but added he would “normally not” be back given the nature of the injury.

Boniface has six goals and an assist in 10 league games this season.

Leverkusen could also be without midfield enforcer Xhaka for their visit to Dortmund because of an ankle complaint.

 “We will make a decision. We need a bit more time with Granit,” said Alonso.

 “We’re hopeful and there’s still time – more than 24 hours – but we need to wait. We’ll see if he’s there tomorrow.”

Leverkusen, who won a league and cup double while going unbeaten domestically last season, sit in second spot in the Bundesliga this campaign, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.