Tag: Boniface

Victor Boniface has admitted he has been surprised by how quickly he has settled down at German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.

The new Super Eagle has already bagged to top awards after four goals and two assists with Leverkusen.

“I couldn’t have imagined it better,” he said. “I didn’t know much about the competition and so I didn’t know what it would be like to go from Belgium to the Bundesliga. To win two awards in that first month…”

 “I have to thank my teammates and everyone who supported me.

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 “I am a bit surprised that I adapted so quickly, but on the other hand, I have always believed in myself.”

The striker returned to Belgian club Union St.Gilloise on his day off in Germany to say a proper goodbye to the fans.

“When I left here (Belgium), I didn’t get to say goodbye to the fans, that’s why I wanted to come back. This is a good match to say goodbye. Otherwise it didn’t feel right for me,” he reasoned.

Their names have poured from the mouths of excited commentators and appeared on millions of fan social media posts the world over, and with Harry Kane and Victor Boniface now ready to face off in an early Bundesliga title contenders’ bout, tonight is set to begin with a bang.

Both new arrivals to the Bundesliga have started the season in exceptional style, Leverkusen’s 6’3” Nigerian powerhouse edging the early-season stats ahead of England’s all-time record goalscorer. Combined, they share an awesome tally of 10 goal involvements and have had such an impact in the opening three matchdays of 2023/24 that fans can’t wait to be reacquainted with the deadly duo.

Kane kicked off his Bundesliga career with a slick pass for Leroy Sane’s opener during the campaign curtain-raiser at Werder Bremen. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur man wasn’t long in following that up with a goal in what turned into a comprehensive 4-0 win for Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Similarly, Boniface – signed from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise – blazed into the spotlight with an assist on his Bayer bow, the 22-year-old teeing up Jeremie Frimpong for Leverkusen’s first goal of a 3-2 win against fellow title hopefuls and Supercup winners RB Leipzig.

Read Also: AFCON Qualifier: Boniface keen to replicate club form with Super Eagles

In his next game, Boniface was off the mark with an impressive double that included a header in a 3-0 win away to Borussia Mönchengladbach that had observers taking note of the Werkself’s slick movement, work-rate and eye-catching attacking prowess.

Meanwhile, over in Bavaria, Kane was matching Boniface’s brilliant exploits. The 30-year-old’s first goal at the Allianz Arena – a sweetly struck penalty – shook the rain from the goal net against Augsburg while his second of the day was a prime example of world-class finishing.

In front of Boniface in the goalscoring stakes going into Matchday 3, Kane would fall slightly behind after a dramatic day that saw both rivals win for a third straight time going into the international break. Leverkusen put paid to Darmstadt hopes with a mostly one-sided 5-1 win, while Bayern edged to victory away against Gladbach.

Kane didn’t score in the record champions’ last league outing but Boniface tore the Lilies apart, netting twice and offering up one more assist as he headed to joint-second in the scorers’ charts.

Of course, both Tuchel and Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso will have expected their newly signed strikers to deliver, but the speed with which both players have adapted to life in new surroundings will have delighted the tacticians. “The way we play it looks like we’ve been together for so long,” Boniface explained of Bayer’s blistering opening to the season. “I give credit to the coach and to all the players,” the striker continued.

Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen have enjoyed a 100 percent start to the Bundesliga season — thanks in no small part to Victor Boniface.

With four goals in three games, the Nigerian is spearheading an early title challenge.

Leverkusen have played three matches and picked the nine maximum points alongside Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich, it was Boniface’s brace that secured Bayer Leverkusen’s win against Darmstadt at the weekend but they weren’t his first competitive goals at the BayArena.

Five months ago, he found the same net when he fired Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise into the lead in the Europa League quarter final first leg. Leverkusen ultimately progressed 5-2 on aggregate, but Boniface had left his mark on the Werkself.

“He’s a proper tanker, the weights room must be his best friend,” commented Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich at the time.”He repeatedly made good runs behind our lines, and his finish wasn’t bad either. He’s really horrible to play against. I don’t know if he does that every week.”

Read Also:Boniface bags another brace in six-goal thriller

With his 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Saint-Gilloise convincing Leverkusen to pay €16m ($17.3m) for the Nigerian, a fee which could yet rise as high as €20.5m with bonus payments, despite an injury record which already lists two cruciate ligament tears in the same knee.

“It was a business decision as to whether or not we should take that risk,” explained sporting director Simon Rolfes after offering Boniface a five-year contract when others, including Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig had decided not to. “But, in our opinion, it was worth it.”

And he’s been proven right so far as the 22-year-old has spearheaded Leverkusen’s perfect start to the season, with four goals and two assists in the first three league games showcasing that he’s an all-round powerhouse.

Nigerian forward Victor Boniface has now scored back-to-back braces for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

It was another Boniface show as Leverkusen maintained their 100 percent start to the league season after a six-goal thriller against SV Darmstadt.

Boniface contributed three of the goals following a 5-1 thrashing of the visitors at the BayArena on Saturday.

Read Also: Victor Boniface – It’s been my dream  to play for Leverkusen

The 22-year-old scored two goals and assisted another while Exequiel Palacious, Jonas Hofman, and Adam Hlozek completed the convincing outing for Werkself.

It was the second consecutive match that the former Union Saint-Gilloise had scored two goals after he also grabbed two goals in the 3-0 demolition of Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend.

The Nigerian forward has now taken his tally to four goals and two assists in just three matches for Leverkusen.

German Bundesliga side, Bayer Leverkusen, has announced the inclusion of Nigerian attacker, Victor Boniface, in Nigeria’s international duty matches scheduled for September, Soccernet.ng reports.

Boniface has been on the provisional list for the Super Eagles on various occasions, and he has finally received his first call-up to represent his country in the Super Eagles’ qualification tie against São Tomé and Príncipe.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations champions will host the Central African side in Uyo for their matchday six tie, marking their final AFCON qualification fixture.

Nigeria is expected to dominate the game, having previously defeated Guinea-Bissau at home and Sierra Leone, securing the top spot in the group with 12 points. Guinea-Bissau currently trails them with 10 points.

Read Also: Boniface fires first Bundesliga goals in big win

Regardless of the outcome, the Super Eagles have already secured their tickets to participate in the 2023 AFCON tournament, scheduled to be held in Côte d’Ivoire.

As a result, new players who have been impressing fans and the football world with their performances in their respective clubs are expected to be called up for the match against São Tomé.

In the latest announcement from Bayer Leverkusen, Nigerian attacker Victor Boniface, who has established himself as a formidable threat to opponents and clinched the title of Europa League top scorer, has been confirmed to join the Nigerian squad to face São Tomé.

The Super Eagles, despite not having a coach due to Jose Peseiro’s contract situation, will reportedly be led by Finidi George, Augustine Eguavoen, or Salisu Yusuf.

Victor Boniface scored his first two goals in the German Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen to win 3-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach today.

He opened scoring in the 18th minute with a header inside the box for his first Bundesliga goal before he completed the scoring after 53 minutes when he slid home a through ball.

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 It was the second win in as many matches for Leverkusen and they are provisionally second in the standings behind Union Berlin, who enjoy a better goal difference.

The striker had delivered an assist in his new club’s 3-2 home win against RB Leipzig on the opening day of the new season.