Tag: Boniface

Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen forward, Victor Boniface has been rated the 14th best dribbler in Europe in the under 21 category according to CIES Football Observatory.

After leaving Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023 summer transfer window for €20 million, Victor Boniface has grown into one of Europe’s most feared strikers.

Since his arrival in the Bundesliga, Boniface has shown great promise as a young player, taking home the August and September Bundesliga Rookie of the Month awards.

With 10 goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) in just nine games, the 22-year-old is currently among the league’s top scorers.

However, the fresh data demonstrated that Boniface is more than just a goal scorer.

Read Also: Europa League: Boniface stunner nominated for Goal of The Week

The CIES states that the data is taken from league games and pertains to both the success rate of dribbles and the sporting level of the games (represented as a percentage deviation from the overall average).

Only those who have played at least 450 minutes in the current campaign are considered for inclusion.

In his nine Bundesliga appearances this season, Boniface has averaged 4.5 successful dribbles per 90 minutes while playing 998 minutes across all competitions.

Victor Boniface has the 4th highest number of Player of the Match awards (2), behind Serhou Guirassy (4), Jonas Wind (4), and Harry Kane (3) and won the Bundesliga Player of the Month for August.

Super Eagles striker, Victor Okoh Boniface, has had his stunning strike against Qarabag FK nominated for the UEFA Europa League goal of the week, Soccernet.ng reports.

The striker has enjoyed a great start to life in Leverkusen since joining from Union Saint-Gilloise, and is currently averaging over a goal contribution per game since signing for his new side.

Alongside young German sensation, Florian Wirtz, Boniface caused all kinds of trouble for Qarabag’s defenders last night, scoring goals and getting involved in helping his teammates get on the scoresheet.

Read Also: My plans for the future, by Osimhen

The Nigerian had several chances to score, but his long range strike was the one that found the back of the net. A quick pass outside of the box by 20-year-old Wirtz found Boniface, who took his time to shoot the ball in the top corner, beyond the goalkeeper’s reach. A truly stunning goal!

Elsewhere, West Ham’s Lucas Pacqueta goal was also nominated in his side’s loss last night. The Brazilian scored a volley from outside the box to equalize for West Ham, before an Angello Ogbona own goal cancelled his leveller.

Victor Boniface is now the second most expensive Super Eagles star on the transfer market after his valuation shot from 12 Million Euros to 40 Million Euros.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is the most expensive Nigeria star by Transfermarkt at 120 Million Euros.

German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen splashed 20 Million Euros to sign the exciting striker from Union St Gilloise in the summer.

He has since justified this big-money transfer with goals and awards. His market value rose by 230%.

Read Also: Boniface scores as Leverkusen returns to top of Bundesliga

“He’s one of faces of Leverkusen’s rise to the top of the table,” remarked market value admin Julius Weilbenstein.

“Leverkusen made a great deal when they paid just 20 Million Euros for Boniface.

“Although he is 6ft 2 inches, Boniface is very mobile and fast.

“Boniface just doesn’t score goals but also combines attributes that make the quintessential modern No 9: a forward who doesn’t just score goals but holds the ball and provides assists.”

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface was on target again yesterday as Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-0 win over local rival Cologne.

The Nigeria forward completed the scoring in the 68th minute against Cologne, which had won on its previous two visits to Leverkusen but remained bottom with just one point from its opening seven games.

Jonas Hofmann opened the scoring in the 22nd when he swept the ball inside the right post after Florian Wirtz set him up with his heel. Boniface had some fortune in the buildup with the bounce of the ball but the visitors’ protests for handball were dismissed. Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart was booked for his reaction, as was Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong for telling the referee to book Baumgart.

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Leverkusen was dominating play and Alex Grimaldo whipped the ball across the face of goal for Frimpong to score the second in the 32nd.

Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe prevented Frimpong from scoring Leverkusen’s third early in the second half, but he was powerless to stop Hofmann crossing for Boniface’s easy finish to seal it. It was Boniface’s seventh goal of the season, helped by Frimpong, whose perfectly weighted pass sent Hofmann through.

Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface is in the running to win the Bundesliga’s September Goal of the Month award.

The one-cap Nigeria international tallied four goals in the German top flight last month – two braces against Darmstadt 98 and Heidenheim in front of the fans at the BayArena.

Boniface has been nominated for his mazy run and chip in Bayer Leverkusen’s 5-1 rout of Darmstadt on September 2.

Twenty-one minutes into the contest, the Super Eagles striker ran from the halfway line after he was released by Jeremie Frimpong, jinked past two opposition players before clipping an exquisite finish over the advancing goalkeeper.

Nine other strikes are on the Bundesliga shortlist for the Goal of the Month for September, from Xavi, Julian Brandt, Benjamin Šeško, Serhou Guirassy, Florian Grillitsch, Alejandro Grimaldo, Maximilian Beier, Julian Ryerson and Jan-Niklas Beste.

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The 22 year old has contributed more goals than any other Nigerian forward in Europe’s top leagues so far this season.

League-wide, only VfB Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy (10), Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (8), VfL Wolfsburg’s Jonas Wind (7) have scored more goals than the Bayer Leverkusen number 22 in the current season.

Boniface will be hoping to win his third individual Bundesliga award since his transfer to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, having picked up the Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month accolades for August.

The 22-year-old has been named in the latest Nigeria squad for their October internationals against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.

Victor Boniface will lead the attacking line of Bayer Leverkusen against Swedish club Molde when both teams clash today in the Europa League.

The Nigeria international played for FK Bodø/Glimt, which is far to the north of Molde, from 2019 to 2022 and he will be in action today at the Molde Stadium, when his German team visit the Swedish side with the hope of recording victory.

“Molde are one of the top teams in the Norwegian league and they compete for the title year after year. Molde were the reigning champions when I joined Bodø/Glim in 2019, and in the next two years where we won the league, Molde were the main competitors as runners-up.

Read Also: Atletico Madrid keeping tabs on Boniface

“We definitely can’t afford to underestimate them also because they are at home. The artificial pitch there could be to their advantage. For us there will be rather unusual playing conditions. It can get really cold over there and we are coming from a hot summer in Germany. We have to be ready for everything and well prepared,” Boniface told the Leverkusen website.

Ahead of the tie, he added: “I will always have a special memory of Molde and the stadium, I scored my first goal as a professional football player. It was a really big match back then: Molde against Bodø/Glimt, first against second. Unfortunately, we lost in the end but for me it was a very special day because of my goal.

“I’m happy to look back at my time in Norway. Accordingly I’m very much looking forward to the trip and the match as well as all the other games in the Europa League. This competition is important for us. We are really up for it,” Boniface added.

Europa League Fixtures

Liverpool vs St.Gilloise

Toulouse vs LASK

Maccabi vs Panathinaikos

Villarreal vs Rennes

Roma vs Servette

Prague vs Sheriff

Haecken vs Qarabag

Molde vs Leverkusen

Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on talented Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface, Soccernet reports.

Boniface joined Bayer Leverkusen from Belgian side Royale Union SG in the summer in a deal worth €20.5million. And he has the Bundesliga alight with his fine mix of skill, power, and technicality.

The 22-year-old hitman has registered eight assists and three goals in seven appearances across all competitions.

He has quickly become an important part of Xabi Alonso’s side and formed a deadly partnership with German creative midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Boniface has helped Die Werkself to second place in the German top-flight, level on points with current champions Bayer Munich, who sit on top.

Read Also: Fulham’s Silva relishes London derby against Chelsea

Following his consistent performances, there have been links with some top clubs outside Germany. English kings Manchester City have been heavily linked with the Nigerian, and there are talks that they may attempt to sign him.

Meanwhile, OkFichajes also reports that Atletico Madrid are monitoring Boniface’s situation and could send in a bid next summer.

Nonetheless, it may be a little difficult to get the Super Eagles star away from Leverkusen anytime soon because he still has five years left on his contract.

Moreover, if Bayer Leverkusen keep him, and he keeps churning out the goals and assists, they could make a huge profit from a future sale.

• Nigerian ace makes team-of-the week

 Following his super performance  at the weekend, Super  Eagles striker Victor  Boniface  has been  given the tag  ‘titan of a striker’ after  his brace for Bayer Leverkusen  was picked  as one of several high points on brilliant Bundesliga weekend.

The 22-year-old  who  moved  to  Leverkusen from  Belgian club , Royale Union Saint-Gilloise has been  on fire since the  start of the Bundesliga  scoring an impressive  six  goals in five appearances  including  Sunday’s double in the 4-1  demolition of Heidenheim.

“I didn’t expect that I would score six goals in five games,” Boniface  who made his debut for Nigeria  this month  against Sao Tome & Principe, said. “Like I said, in football, you just need to keep trying your best and see what happens in the end.”

But in the  incisive  review of  the weekend’s  matches, analysts  noted that  Leverkusen  would remain a strong force  in the on-going campaign  even more so  ‘when their fire-starter-in-chief Victor Boniface continues to blaze in the goals for the Bundesliga’s joint-leaders.’

Read Also: Enyimba hook ex-Flying Eagles Daga on loan

 The Bundesliga experts added: “It is, of course, far too early to wonder where this all might lead to for the high-flying Werkself and their titan of a striker, but it has certainly made for compelling viewing in the opening games of this Unmissable season so far.

Meanwhile,  Boniface has  been named  in the Bundesliga Team-of-the-week   by whoscored.com  in a dream  three-man attacking  line up  along with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and VfB Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy.

While Kane  made headlines with his first Bundesliga  hattrick  in the 7-0 thrashing of Bochum, Guinea’s Guirassy completed a  remarkable  three consecutive  brace  as Stuttgart  thrash SV Darmstadt 98 3-1.

Boniface  who signed for Bayer Leverkusen  in the summer, scored his first Bundesliga goals by netting a brace in a 3–0 away derby win against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Victor Boniface bagged his fifth and sixth goals of the season as Bayer Leverkusen beat Heidenheim 4-1 at the BayArena to maintain their undefeated start to the campaign.

Boniface had the first real chance of the game after some slick interplay on the edge of the Heidenheim box, but his shot deflected wide of the far post.

The Nigerian had his fifth goal of the season soon after, though. Exequiel Palacios played into his feet and Boniface still had work to do, but he turned his man before finishing low beyond Kevin Müller. Jeremie Frimpong forced a save from Müller from a tight angle midway through the half before Jonas Hofmann had a pair of chances, pulling one wide and volleying another straight at Müller.

Read Also: Super Bundesliga start excites Boniface

Tim Kleindienst had Heidenheim’s best chance at the end of the half, but Lukáš Hrádecký saved and it was 1-0 at the break.

Nikola Dovedan had a half chance for the visitors at the start of the second half but his indecision allowed Edmond Tapsoba to recover the danger. Eren Dinkçi thought he should have had a free-kick from Frimpong after a similar opening soon after, but referee Christian Dingert waved play on.

 Things went the former Werder Bremen man’s way minutes later, though, when Jan-Niklas Beste squared to him to steer the equaliser into the bottom corner.

Parity lasted all of five minutes, though, with Palacios’ pin-point pass finished off by Hofmann. Boniface then completed the scoring with a penalty sent straight down the middle. Second half substitute Amine Adli then added gloss to the scoreline with a fine lob as it ended 4-1.