Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface made a triumphant return from injury, scoring in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim in a Bundesliga clash at the BayArena last night.
Boniface, who had been sidelined for nearly two months with a hamstring injury, wasted no time making an impact, opening the scoring in the 15th minute with his weaker left foot. The goal marked his seventh league strike of the season and his first since Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen on October 26.
Reacting to the win and his return, the Nigerian forward expressed his joy at being back on the pitch and contributing to his team’s title charge.
“I feel happy; I feel great. It has been a long time since I’ve been out; I think almost two months, so to be back and playing games is really good for me,” Boniface said.
He emphasized the importance of his early goal in boosting the team’s confidence. “It feels good to score, not just being a striker but in general as a team to score an early goal against a top team like this. It really helps build confidence, and you can see that after the goal, the team gained more confidence to score more.”
Boniface, who sustained his injury while on international duty with the Super Eagles during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in November, was substituted at halftime for in-form Czech striker Patrik Schick. Schick later extended Leverkusen’s lead with the team’s third goal in the 51st minute, sealing the win.
With the victory, Leverkusen continues their strong push for the Bundesliga title, and Boniface’s return provides a timely boost for the club as they chase silverware.
