Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface has been nominated for the best skill of the season in the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign.
The 23-year-old made a bright start to life in Germany and didn’t need any time to settle after joining Xabi Alonso’s side from Union SG last July.
Boniface took the Bundesliga by storm, scoring 10 goals in 16 league matches before a groin injury abruptly ended his momentum, causing him to also miss the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in Ivory Coast.
Despite being currently injured, the striker’s exploits in the Bundesliga continue to make waves, as he’s now been nominated for the best skill of the season.
Victor Boniface nominated for Bundesliga best skill of the season
Boniface produced a cheeky piece of skill during Leverkusen’s Bundesliga game against RB Leipzig at the Bay Arena earlier in the season in August 2023.
The striker applied a feint and bamboozled his marker into thinking he was going to hit a shot with his right, only to then pass the ball with his left foot.
The skill went viral on social media at the time, although Boniface did not score in that game, as Leverkusen went on to beat RB Leipzig 3-2.
Boniface’s skill has now been nominated for the best skill of the season in the Bundesliga, alongside the efforts of four other players.
How to vote for Boniface in the Bundesliga best skill of the season contest
The Nigerian striker has been nominated for the award, together with Andrej Kramaric, Jadon Sancho, Felix Nmecha and Xavi Simons.
To vote for Boniface, one has to visit the Bundesliga's website to make their pick among the options provided for the aforementioned players.
As of the time of filing this report, Sancho is in the lead in terms of the votes with 77%. Xavi is second with 18% of the votes, while Boniface has garnered only 4% so far.
Hoffenheim forward Kramaric also has just 1% of the votes, while Dortmund’s Nmecha has zero votes in the polls.
‘Boniface is a real problem for opponents’
Boniface’s style of play has contributed to his seamless transition from the Belgian league into the Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old striker has a bulky physique but is also very athletic, which allows him to dribble, shoot and produce the odd skill to beat his man.
When he joined Leverkusen, the club’s manager Alonso described him as a “real problem” for opponents due to his overall play.
“Victor's a real problem for opposition defences. He's powerful, quick and makes runs from deep. He has a good mentality and works for the team, not for himself,” Alonso told Bundesliga.com.
Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes also added: “He’s been on our radar for some time. His performance against us absolutely confirmed our positive assessment. Victor is a very commanding and difficult to handle centre forward who will be a challenge for every defender with his physicality. He's also quick and has good technique.”
Boniface is expected to make a return from his groin injury in March.
