October 01, (THEWILL) – Victor Okoh Boniface is a name that has been on the lips of many football fans and pundits, especially in the Bundesliga, in recent weeks. The 22-year-old Nigerian striker has taken the League by storm this season, helping his club Bayer Leverkusen to hold joint-top position in the German first division. He has scored six goals and provided two assists in his first five league games, earning him both the Rookie and Player of the Month awards for August 2023.
He has also impressed in the UEFA Europa League, scoring once and assisting another in Leverkusen’s 4-1 win over Olympiacos in their opening group game. This has led those unfamiliar with the burly striker to ask who Victor Boniface is and how he became one of the hottest prospects in European football.
The young man, known for his strength, skills, pace and finishing inside the box, was born just before Christmas, on December 23, 2000 in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. He started playing football at a young age and his hard work and dedication to improvement at a local Academy earned him a move to a domestic club Real Sapphire Football Club of Lagos, owned and sponsored by businessman Frank Peters and famed for grooming and exporting talented players.
There, the young Boniface honed his skills and grew in confidence to take on defenders and find the gap to exploit in his search for goals. This expectedly caught the attention of both local coaches and foreign scouts.
He was selected to the Nigeria Under-20 squad to play the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations and was scouted for a move to the Eliteserien, Norway’s top football division. Unfortunately, he was forced to withdraw from the U20 squad due to injury. He also missed most of the 2019 season with a ligament injury, which he suffered shortly after signing for Norwegian top-flight side Bodo/Glimt in March that year.
At this phase of his life, on the cusp of a major breakthrough, the injury saw him slide into a dark place. As he himself revealed, he nearly quit football due to the depression that set in after he sustained the lengthy blow of this serious injury in 2019.
He confessed that he lost interest in football, started eating unhealthy foods, partying and drinking to cope with his situation. As someone who was not a drinker, it was a wild slope from which some never recover. However, he overcame his mental health issues with the help of his family, friends and teammates².
After recovering from his setback, he decidedly went on to make his mark in Norway, scoring 23 goals and registering eight assists in 66 games for Bodo/Glimt between 2019 and 2022. He helped the club win two consecutive Eliteserien titles in 2020 and 2021, as well as reaching the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League in 2022. His performances caught the eye of Belgian first division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise, who signed him for N6.10 million in August 2022. Things were looking up for the 22-year-old and his stock was on the rise, backed by his resilience and the discipline to keep pace with his progress.
Boniface continued his scoring spree in Belgium, netting 17 goals and setting up 12 more in 51 competitive appearances for Union SG. He was particularly prolific in the UEFA Europa League, where he finished as joint-top scorer with six goals in 10 games, alongside Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
He also made it to the competition’s Team of the Season, along with his new teammate Jonathan Tah. These accolades came based on impressive statistics from the striker.
Boniface was notching 1.37 progressive runs per 90 minutes at Union SG. This meant that, with the Norwegian club normally operating out of a 4-3-3 system, he was the central striker and penalty box poacher. Most of his activity came in the central areas of the 18-yard box as well as just outside of it. He was not the striker that could be found drifting wide often, or generally not at all. He was the point man, one who took the ball straight at goal to find the net.
Boniface’s outstanding physical trait was undoubtedly his height, with the Nigerian striker standing at 6’4” tall, along with top-level strength to hold off opposition defenders in tight spaces in the penalty box. This allowed him to function as the team’s target man inside the box, and since he had that fox-in-the-box tendency, it worked optimally for the goals that came for Union SG. However, his exploits proved ironic for Union because, as much as it kept them immensely competitive, it also did not go unnoticed by bigger clubs who were asking questions about signing the Nigerian. In July 2023, Bayer Leverkusen swooped in to secure his services for €20.50 million.
He wasted no time making an impact at his new club, scoring on his debut in the DFB Cup against Teutonia 05. He then registered his first Bundesliga assist in his first league game against RB Leipzig, before scoring a brace in each of his next two league outings, away against Borussia Mönchengladbach (in August) and at home against Darmstadt 98 (in September). He also contributed to their season-defining 2-2 draw against serial champions Bayern Munich on Matchday 4, as the two clubs currently lead the Bundesliga in 13 points apiece after matchday five fixtures. His incredible start to life in Germany has been nothing short of remarkable. After these scintillating displays with Leverkusen, Boniface became only the second player ever – and first since Erling Haaland in January 2020 – to win both the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month awards in the same month when he collected both gongs for August 2023. It did not stop there.
Boniface’s sensational form earned him a call-up to the Nigeria national team for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe in September. He made his debut for the Super Eagles on September 10, coming on as a 64th minute substitute for Taiwo Awoniyi. In the odd 26 minutes of his international debut, he proved his nephew mettle by providing an assist for Samuel Chukwueze to net Nigeria’s 6th and final goal of the match.
He has shown that he has all the attributes of a top-class striker: strength, speed, skill, finishing, movement and vision. In Germany this season, the Nigerian has bagged an incredible three braces in his opening five league performances to firmly stake his claim in the top scorers’ race. No player has managed to match Boniface’s 38 shots so far – an all-time record for this stage of a season. He has also demonstrated a remarkable adaptability to different leagues and cultures, as well as a hunger for improvement and success. He has broken several records and won several awards in his short career so far, but he is not resting on his laurels. He has set his sights on challenging Harry Kane and Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title and golden boot this season, as well as helping Nigeria whenever he is called up.
Boniface is a versatile player who can be deployed in different positions and formations. He has been effective as a lone striker, a second striker, a left winger and a right winger as positioned by his various coaches. He has also adapted to different styles of play, from the fast and direct approach of Bodo/Glimt, to the possession-based and technical game of Union SG, to the balanced and dynamic system of Leverkusen.
On a personal level, he carries a friendly personality. He is a fan favourite at every club he has played for, thanks to his charisma, passion and dedication. He has a special bond with the fans of Bodo/Glimt, who nicknamed him “Bonny” and gave him a standing ovation when he returned to play against them with Union SG in the UEFA Europa Conference League. He also endeared himself to the fans of Union SG, who voted him as their Player of the Season in 2022-23. He has already won over the fans of Leverkusen, who chant his name and wear his jersey at the BayArena.
He is a humble and hardworking player who is always eager to learn from his coaches and senior players. He has praised current manager Xabi Alonso for his tactical guidance. He has also expressed his admiration for compatriots Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi, whom he considers as role models in the Nigeria national team.
Boniface is not only a talented and prolific striker, but also a resilient and inspirational person. He has overcome many challenges and obstacles in his life and career, and has emerged as one of the most exciting and promising players in world football. He has a bright future ahead of him, both at club and international level, and he will surely continue to dazzle and delight fans with his goals and skills alike.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
