After just three games this season, Victor Boniface is already a crowd favorite in Leverkusen. The Bayer striker has won his way into everyone’s hearts with his style and his goals fans shot.
The third game of the season is underway – a home game for Bayer Leverkusen against SV Darmstadt 98 – and a new song echoes from the corner. To the tune of “Give It Up” of the KC and the Sunshine tape they sing fans There’s always a name in Leverkusen’s Nordkuve: “Victor Boniface, Boniface, Victor Boniface!”
They celebrate their new goalscorer, who has managed to achieve fan favorite status in just a few games. The Nigerian has quickly found his way not only into the hearts of… fans of his new club, but also to the top of the Bundesliga scorers list. With four goals and two assists, the beefy striker is ahead of Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy and Wolfsburg’s Jonas Wind in this ranking. Only Guirassy has one more goal in the top scorer list.
Nobody fired any more shots on goal
Another statistic that says a lot about the attacker’s style of play: Boniface had an impressive 21 shots on goal in his first three Bundesliga games, eight more than Bayern Munich Harry Kane in second place. On Friday, the Leverkusen player and the new signing from the record champions, who cost five times as much, will face each other for the first time in the Bundesliga top game in Munich (8.30 p.m.).
The high number of shots on goal says a lot about the style of play of the Leverkusen team and their goal-guarantor, who is characterized by a strong move towards the goal, wit, good technique and a strong finish with his feet and head.
Debut in Nigerian National team
The strong start to the season not only made Boniface famous in Germany, he was also called up to the Nigerian national team for the first time during this international phase. In qualifying for Africa Cup Boniface was able to celebrate his debut at the weekend. The Leverkusen player came on as a substitute against São Tomé and Príncipe and contributed an assist to the 6-0 win.
Boniface games “not like a classic bomber, it is complete”said his coach Xabi Alonso after the brace against Darmstadt (final score 5:1). “We still expect a lot from him.” teamcolleague Granit Xhaka described the 22-year-old as “down-to-earth boy who is hungry for goals and success”. Boniface do “the team better”said the Swiss. For his high-scoring start, Boniface was named by the Bundesliga as “Rookie of the Month” award.
Boniface already impressed in Leverkusen last season
The 1.90 meter tall and 91 kilogram giant was not necessarily bought as a new star. In the summer, the club was primarily looking for a replacement for the regular number 9, Patrik Schick, who will not be an option again until October after long-term adductor problems. But Bayer didn’t have to look long, as a player had impressively applied for the vacant position just a few months earlier.
In the quarterfinals of Europe League Boniface had already advertised on its own behalf in Leverkusen. In the Union St jersey. Gilloise The Nigerian caused appreciative murmurs with a strong performance for the first time in his new home. The Belgians scored in the 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bayarena. Just a week after the game, his agent told him: “that I could go to Leverkusen”said Boniface.
Change with announcement
The commitment was also a matter of the heart for the Leverkusen team. In the weeks after the games against Leverkusen, Boniface repeatedly appeared in his Instagram stories wearing a Bayer jersey he had acquired in exchange and raving about the Bundesliga. It was almost logical that Bayer transferred a transfer fee of up to 20 million euros to the Belgians in the summer and accepted the Nigerian’s application. An investment that should be worthwhile.
