The – expected – sensation at the start of the Bundesliga season has a name: Bayer Leverkusen. Co-leader of the championship with 13 points but a goal difference lower than that of Bayern Munich, the club coached by Xabi Alonso continues attractive performances, weekend after weekend. Symbol of a well-oiled collective and already efficient individuals, the face displayed by a certain Victor Boniface, new recruit of Pillendreher. Author of a new double, Sunday afternoon, during his team’s victory (4-1) against promoted Heidenheim, the Nigerian striker (1 selection) continues his slow pace across the Rhine.
Boniface, Xabi Alonso’s lethal weapon!
On the podium of the best scorers in the Bundesliga and in the top 10 of the greatest European scorers, the native of Akure has totaled 8 goals and 3 assists in 7 matches in all competitions. At the forefront of Bayer’s attack, the one who benefits from the unconditional support of Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz enjoys himself, day after day, in the championship and also makes an impression in the Europa League (an achievement and an offering in 71 minutes against the BK Häcken last Thursday). Beyond his disconcerting statistics, the 1m90 right-hander – who had already put Belgium at his feet in the space of a few months (22 goals and 12 assists last season with USG) – impresses with his attitude and his personality.
“Victor is a real problem for opposing defenses: he is powerful, fast and runs deep. And then, he has a good mentality and he works for the team, not for himself. He does everything well. He maintains good relations with Grimaldo, with Florian Wirtz and with Jonas Hofmann. He’s not just a classic striker, nor just a regular scorer. It is complete”rejoiced, in this regard, Xabi Alonso. “He was the striker with the greatest potential”, recognized Ole Martin Arst, former Tromsø scorer who was able to observe Boniface’s prowess during his time at Bodø/Glimt (2019-2022). Named player of the month for August in the Bundesliga, the powerful and fast center forward from Leverkusen did not, in any case, miss his debut.
The summits don’t make him lose his mind!
Perfect acclimatization does not prevent the person concerned from keeping their head on their shoulders. “I think you have to give credit to the coaches. Bringing new players into the team isn’t easy, and adapting isn’t easy, but I think they made the right choice in bringing in the type of players that fit the way they want to play”, he explained in particular in an interview given to the Bundesliga website. More determined than ever, Boniface did not forget to return to Belgian lands to say goodbye to the Union Saint Gilloise. “It’s nice to be back here. I wanted to support the Union on my day off. When I left here, I couldn’t say goodbye to the fans, that’s why I wanted to come back. Otherwise, I didn’t feel well.”confided Bayer number 22 in an interview with Nieuwsblad.
Bluffing on German lawns and praised outside for his benevolence, Boniface nonetheless remains an outstanding competitor. More than his six goals in the Bundesliga, the 22-year-old Nigerian striker has already attempted to score 38 times in his five matches. An absolute record across the Rhine. During the 1994/95 season, a certain Uwe Wegmann had, in fact, totaled 35 opportunities, with the difference that Wegmann had failed to realize a single one of his attempts. A statistic symbolizing the offensive impact of the one who sees his contract run until June 2028… Not enough, however, to satisfy him: “When you have 38 goal attempts as a player, you should have scored at least 25 times. This is not the case currently, so I am not going to congratulate myself on this record”, launched the person concerned. Humble, hardworking and talented, Victor Boniface seems, whatever it may be, to have the perfect package to shine brightly…
