Super Eagles: 2 challenges Boniface must overcome to revive Leverkusen career

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface faces a crucial period in his career at Bayer Leverkusen as he looks to regain his place in the team and get his career back on track.

Boniface joined Die Werkself from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023 and quickly established himself as a key player. He helped Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title unbeaten in the 2023-24 season, earning a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and was also named Rookie of the Season.

However, the Nigerian forward has struggled to reach those heights since then, with recurring injuries and fitness problems affecting his progress.

He joined Werder Bremen on loan last season in search of regular playing time, but the move failed to work out as injuries kept him out for long periods. He returned to Leverkusen this summer despite interest from several clubs, including Hannover, but has continued to struggle for minutes this season.

Boniface has spent much of the campaign on the bench, raising questions about his future role at the club. However, an injury to fellow striker Christian Kofane could give him a fresh opportunity to work his way back into the team.

The Super Eagles forward will need to overcome two major challenges if he hopes to make the most of this opening and revive his Leverkusen career.

Boniface must take advantage of Kofane’s injury

The Super Eagles forward has struggled to break into Leverkusen’s starting lineup this season, with Patrik Schick and Kofane emerging as the club’s leading options in attack and has been tipped to secure a move away in January.

However, Kofane’s injury could open the door for him to earn more playing time and convince head coach Carles Martínez that he deserves a bigger role.

With Leverkusen facing a busy run of fixtures, the coaching staff will need more options up front. This could give Boniface the chance to prove his worth, provided he takes advantage of any opportunities that come his way.

Martínez has already made it clear that the Super Eagles star remains an option as Leverkusen look to cope with Kofane’s absence.

“What is certain is that, with Kofane out, that spot is available. Of course, we have Patrik [Schick], and we’re very happy with him, but we will also need other players because we have a lot of minutes to play in the coming weeks, and everyone will be important”, Martínez said, in quotes revealed by Buli News.

“Boni will certainly be an option. We will obviously see how he is doing, as he hasn’t played all that much. We have players I’m completely confident in: if Patrik needs a rest or we have to make a change for any reason, we will have options.”

Super Eagles forward must stay fit and avoid further injury problems

The second major challenge for Boniface is maintaining his fitness. He has suffered from recurring knee problems in recent seasons which has disrupted his career at Leverkusen and prevented him from building on the impressive start he made after joining the club in 2023.

His injury concerns also contributed to the collapse of a proposed move to AC Milan in 2025. The problems continued during his loan spell at Werder Bremen last season, where he struggled to stay available and make a consistent impact.

Therefore, he needs to stay fit to take advantage of Kofane’s time on the sidelines.

There are encouraging signs regarding his current condition. Martínez has confirmed that the Nigerian international is training regularly, although his lack of playing time remains a concern.

“He trains fully every day. Of course, he isn’t playing much at the moment, as you can see – he has only played a few minutes in one match, and it hasn’t been possible for him to be in the squad for European games. That’s simply the situation at the moment”, Martínez added.

“Boni is here, and his knee is fine. We’ll see how things develop. The same applies to tomorrow: if everything goes well, he will be in the squad, and if we need him, he is obviously an important player because he can help us score goals and contribute in other ways.”

If he can stay healthy and make the most of the opportunities created by Kofane’s absence, Boniface could finally begin to rebuild his career at Leverkusen.

The Super Eagles forward is in contention to make his second appearance of the season when they face Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.