| Victor Boniface | |
| Full Name: | Victor Okoh Boniface |
| Birth Date: | 23 December 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria |
| Height: | 1.90 m[1] |
| Position: | Striker |
| Currentclub: | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Clubnumber: | 22 |
| Youthyears1: | –2019 |
| Youthclubs1: | Real Sapphire |
| Youthyears2: | 2018[2] |
| Youthclubs2: | → Lefke TSK (loan) |
| Years1: | 2019–2022 |
| Clubs1: | Bodø/Glimt |
| Caps1: | 48 |
| Goals1: | 13 |
| Years2: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs2: | Union SG |
| Caps2: | 37 |
| Goals2: | 9 |
| Years3: | 2023– |
| Clubs3: | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Caps3: | 23 |
| Goals3: | 14 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam1: | Nigeria |
| Nationalcaps1: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 22:48, 18 May 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 10 June 2024 (UTC) |
Victor Okoh Boniface (born 23 December 2000) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Nigeria national team. Boniface is renowned for his pace, strength, dribbling ability, finishing and work ethic.[3] [4] [5] [6]
In January 2018, Boniface went on loan to KTFF Süper Lig club Lefke TSK. After continuing his career here for a short time, he returned to Real Sapphire in July 2018.[7]
Boniface signed for Bodø/Glimt from Real Sapphire on 4 March 2019.[8] He suffered a ligament injury only two weeks after signing for Glimt, which was said to be likely to keep him on the sidelines for the duration of the 2019 season.[9] Boniface was selected to the Nigeria U-20 squad to play the 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, but had to withdraw from the squad due to injury.[10] In September 2019 he nonetheless made his league debut for the club.
On 8 August 2022, Boniface signed a four-year contract with Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.[11] Union reached the quarter-finals of the 2022–23 Europa League. Boniface scored six goals in the competition, including a brace against Union Berlin in the round of 16, finishing as the competition's joint top scorer along with Marcus Rashford.[12]
On 22 July 2023, Boniface signed for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on a contract until 2028, and was assigned the number 22 shirt.[13] He made his Bundesliga debut as a starter on 19 August, in a 3–2 home victory over RB Leipzig.[14] The following week, on 26 August, he scored his first Bundesliga goals by netting a brace at the Borussia Park in a 3–0 away derby win against Borussia Mönchengladbach.[15]
In early April 2024, Boniface recovered from an adductor injury sustained in January that year.[16] On 11 April, he netted his first goal following his return in a 2–0 win against West Ham United in the 1st leg of the Europa League quarter-final.[17] Four days later, he scored the opener from the penalty spot and provided an assist in a 5–0 win against Werder Bremen, helping his club to secure the Bundesliga title for the first time with five games to spare.[18] He eventually managed to finish his first season at the club as their top scorer in the league with 14 goals.[19]
In May 2024, Boniface became the second-highest African goal scorer in the 2023/2024 Bundesliga season.[20]
Boniface made his debut for the Nigeria senior team on 10 September 2023, coming on in the 64th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi. He provided an assist in that match to Samuel Chukwueze. On 29 December 2023, he was named in the Nigerian squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast.[21] However, on 8 January 2024, Boniface sustained a muscle injury which forced him to miss the African tournament,[22] and he was replaced by Terem Moffi.[23]
Boniface is known for his distinctive style of play. His playing characteristics include strengths in dribbling, finishing, and headed attempts, while his weaknesses lie in offside awareness, holding onto the ball, and defensive contribution.[24]
He is described as a player who likes to dribble, likes to do layoffs, and likes to play long balls. These attributes contribute to his effectiveness as a forward on the field.[25]
His background, including learning to play football in a military barracks in Nigeria, adds an interesting dimension to his journey as a footballer.
Overall, Victor Boniface's style of play is characterised by his technical abilities, goal-scoring prowess, and unique playing preferences, making him a player to watch in the world of football.[26] [27] [28]
| Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bodø/Glimt | 2019 | Eliteserien | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 1 | |||
| 2020 | Eliteserien | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – | 27 | 8 | |||
| 2021 | Eliteserien | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | Eliteserien | 15 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 5 | – | 30 | 14 | |||
| Total | 48 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 7 | – | 66 | 23 | ||||
| Union SG | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 37 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 6 | – | 51 | 17 | ||
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 23 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | – | 34 | 21 | ||
| 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 23 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 22 | |||
| Career total | 108 | 36 | 12 | 7 | 31 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 152 | 62 | |||
| Nigeria | 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bodø/Glimt
Bayer Leverkusen
Individual