Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface has expressed his joy at returning to the pitch after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion.
Boniface scored his Bundesliga sixth goal of the campaign in the 30th minute, making a dynamic run into the box to finish off a perfectly placed cross from Jeremie Frimpong.
Just a week earlier, the Nigeria international was involved in a car accident following Leverkusen's 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
Boniface, who scored the decisive goal in the 72nd minute of that match, shared images and a video of the damaged car in a since-deleted Instagram post on Sunday, October 20, 2024, which included what appeared to be a photo of his hand covered in blood.
As a result, he was excluded from the traveling squad for the UEFA Champions League match against Brest on Wednesday, with German-Nigerian midfielder Francis Onyeka stepping in as his replacement.
The 23-year-old was reinstated to the Leverkusen setup for the trip to Bremen after passing a late fitness test, and he rewarded the fans with a goal.
Boniface reflects on resilience and team commitment after draw
In an interview with Bild, Boniface reflected on his return to football and the support he received from fans following a challenging week.
He expressed his happiness, stating, “It felt good to come back from such a situation. I am really happy with the reaction and the messages from the fans. I am happy to be playing football again and to feel their support.”
Boniface also emphasised the need for the team to improve, noting, “We can do much better as a team. We have to stay focused for the full 90 minutes. If we can do that, we will win the games.”
He further acknowledged the frustration of not securing a victory, adding, “We are very annoyed that we didn't win the game. We know: This is football and games like this can happen. Our mentality is to fight back in the next few weeks.”
Boniface has already made nine goal contributions for Leverkusen this season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in just ten games.
