Victor Boniface is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Nigeria's Super Eagles.
Born on 23 December 2000 in Akure, Ondo State, Boniface's journey from academy side Real Sapphire to the beautiful landscape of European football showcases his unparalleled talent and unwavering dedication to achieving his life-long football dreams.
In this article, we'll provide everything you need to know about the Bundesliga champion.
Where is Victor Boniface from?
Victor Boniface was born in Akure, Ondo State. It is believed that he's from Ondo State and is of the Yoruba tribe.
Victor Boniface parents
Boniface was born to Mr. and Mrs. Okoh Boniface, but not much is known about his parents except that he lost his mother from a young age due to an accident.
He has been seen with his grandmother in Germany during Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title celebration. His grandmother played a crucial role during his childhood.
10 Facts to know about Victor Boniface
Below are 10 interesting facts about Victor Boniface.
1. The early loss of his mother
Victor Boniface endured a difficult childhood because of the unfortunate loss of his mother in an accident.
The loss came at a very young age for Boniface who suffered a trauma that deeply affected him, and for some time, derailed his football dreams.
2. He began his football career at Real Sapphire
Victor Boniface's professional football career started at the Real Sapphire Academy in Lagos, where he showcased exceptional talent which led to his first trip to Europe when Bodo/Glimt deemed him good enough to play for them.
3. Victor Boniface was raised in a military barracks
After the loss of his mother, Victor Boniface was taken by his grandparents who raised him up in a military barrack in Ondo State, an environment which disciplined him and gave him the motivation to succeed in life.
4. Injury ruled Boniface out of AFCON 2023
Victor Boniface was invited to the Nigeria Super Eagles squad to play the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, but while in camp in the United Arab Emirates, an unfortunate injury forced him to withdraw from the squad.
5. First player to score a hattrick for a Norwegian club in Europe since 2007
Boniface scored a hat-trick for Bodo/Glimt in a 3-0 win against Klaksvik in the 2022 UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds on 6 July 2022.
With that, he became the first player to score a hattrick for a Norwegian club in UEFA club competitions since 2007.
6. Boniface almost ended his football career due to depression
The Akure-born Bundesliga winner nearly quit football due to depression. He revealed this in an interview with Nigerian journalist Ojora Babatunde.
“I lost interest in football, I forgot about my diets, I began to eat everything, I started living a normal life, I just wanted to be happy, I started partying and drinking. I don’t drink normally, but I started it because I was depressed,” Boniface said.
7. Boniface survived a motor-accident
Victor Boniface was involved in car accident following Leverkusen's 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday 19 October 2024.
Boniface, who netted the decisive goal in the 72nd minute of Saturday's match, shared images and a video of a damaged car in since-deleted Instagram post on Sunday 20 October 2024, including what appeared to be a photo of his hand covered in blood.
Reports from German media indicate that Boniface was en route to pick up friends from the Frankfurt airport when the accident occurred.
Fortunately, he was not driving at the time and sustained only minor injuries, despite the significant damage to the vehicle. In an X post, Boniface wrote: “God is the greatest.”
8. He has an admirable style of play
Victor Boniface is described as a player who likes to score, likes to dribble, likes to do layoffs, and likes to play long balls.
These attributes caught the eyes of Xabi Alonso who convinced the Leverkusen board to sign the talented Nigerian.
Not only that, his style of play has been observed to contribute to his effectiveness as a forward on the field and a selfless knack to assist his teammates.
9. Bundesliga Rookie of the Month record holder
Victor Boniface's exceptional first season with Bayer Leverkusen in the German top-flight earned him the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for four consecutive months between August to November 2023.
He became the first player to win the award in four straight months since its inception in the 2016/17 season. This prestigious award recognises the outstanding talents and potentials of young footballers in the Bundesliga.
10. Bundesliga Team of the Season for the 2023/24 campaign
Nigerian striker Victor Boniface made it into a star-studded Bundesliga Team of the Season as selected by the league's governing body for the 2023/24 campaign.
He played a starring role in Bayer Leverkusen's impressive season that saw the club win their first league title in history with five matches to spare. Die Werkself are still unbeaten across all competitions this season at the time of writing.
Victor Boniface club career
The promising young Nigerian striker hasn't played for many clubs. Let's delve into the details of his club career below.
Real Sapphire
Victor Boniface began his football career at a Lagos academy called Real Sapphire Academy, but the exact year is not made public.
However, in January 2018 he was sent on loan from Real Sapphire to KTFF Süper Lig club Lefke TSK. But after continuing his career in Turkey for a short time, he returned to Real Sapphire in July of 2018.
While at the Lagos academy, Boniface caught the attention of Bodo/Glimt scouts who facilitated his move along with the player's representatives.
Bodø/Glimt
After impressing at Real Sapphire, Victor Boniface signed for Bodø/Glimt on 4 March 2019, his first professional contract.
Unfortunately, he suffered a ligament injury just two weeks after signing for the Norwegian side, which was said to keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the 2019 season.
After his recovery, Boniface was then selected to the Nigeria U-20 squad to play the 2019 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. However, a couple of days before the tournament, he suffered a second injury and had to withdraw from the Nigeria squad.
After his second injury recovery, in September of 2019 he finally made his league debut for Bodo/Glimt.
Boniface spent four years with the club and won two Elitserien titles (2020, 2021), scoring 23 goals in 66 games across all competitions before his move to Belgium.
Union Saint-Gilloise
With a growing reputation as a goalscorer in the Norwegian top-flight, Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on 8 August 2022 acquired his services on a four-year deal.
With Boniface, USG reached the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 Europa League with the Nigerian scoring six goals in the competition, including a brace against Union Berlin in the round of 16.
The Super Eagles forward finished as the competition's joint top-scorer along with Marcus Rashford, but his performance against Leverkusen captivated Xabi Alonso who lured him to Germany.
By the time he left USG, Boniface had bagged 17 goals in 51 matches for the club across all competitions in his first and only season.
Bayer Leverkusen
Victor Boniface signed for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on 22 July 2023 in a contract that runs until 2028, with the number 22 shirt assigned to him.
The Akure-born striker made his Bundesliga debut as a starter on 19 August, in a 3-2 home victory over RB Leipzig.
The following week, on 26 August, he scored his first Bundesliga goals by bagging a brace in a 3-0 away derby victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Borussia Park.
His performances that day set a chain of more scintillating performances from the former USG player who went on to win Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for four consecutive months beginning from August to November, 2023.
An unfortunate injury in December ruled him out of action for three months, but after his recovery on 11 April 2024, Boniface scored against West Ham in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final. The game finished 2-0.
On 15th April Victor Boniface scored the opener from the penalty spot against Werder Bremen in a 5-0 win. The big victory ensured that Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga for the first time in their history with five matches to spare.
At the time of writing, Victor Boniface has scored 28 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen.
Victor Boniface international career
Victor Boniface earned a call-up to the Super Eagles team managed by Jose Peseiro in September 2023.
He made his debut for Nigeria on 10 September 2023, coming on in the 64th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi. Interestingly, Boniface provided an assist in that match, setting up Samuel Chukwueze's goal.
On 29 December 2023, he was named in the Nigeria squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Once again, on 8 January 2024, Boniface sustained a muscle injury which forced him to miss the tournament, and was replaced by Terem Moffi.
So far, he has played five games for Nigeria, and what could've been his first goal was officially credited as an own goal. At the time of publishing, Boniface is yet to score for the Super Eagles.
Victor Boniface salary and net worth
As at the time of writing, Victor Boniface earns €38,462 per week, and an annual salary of €2,000,000 excluding bonuses for the 2023/24 season, according to Capology.
On the other hand, Victor Boniface net worth is estimated to be around $5 million, a testament to his burgeoning success and market value which is set to continue to rise in the next coming years.
Frequently Asked Questions about Victor Boniface
What is Victor Boniface state of origin? Victor Boniface’s state of Origin is Ondo State in southwest Nigeria.
How tall is Victor Boniface? Standing at 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), he's one of the tallest players in the German Bundesliga.
How much does Victor Boniface earn weekly? Victor Boniface earns €38,462 per week as a Bayer Leverkusen player, but this does not include bonuses.
What is Victor Boniface net worth in 2024? At the time of writing in 2024, Victor Boniface’s net worth is estimated at $5 million.
Has Victor Boniface scored a goal for Nigeria? Victor Boniface is still hunting for his first goal for the Super Eagles.
