The Super Eagles striker, Victor Boniface, looks to have put behind a failed transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr that would have secured his financial future after came off the substitute’s bench to score in consecutive games for Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
Boniface scored an extra-time winner as Bayer Leverkusen came back from 2-0 down to beat Cologne 3-2 in an absorbing quarter-final tie at the BayArena on Wednesday.
The win extended Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten run to 10 DFB Cup games as Leverkusen head coach, winning his first nine inside 90 minutes.
Bundesliga 2 leaders Cologne made the most of a rare counter-attack on the stroke of half-time when Damion Downs smashed in Dejan Ljubičić’s pass past Matěj Kovář for a surprise opener in additional time of the first half.
Linton Maina doubled Cologne’s lead when he fired in Downs’ pass into the bottom corner in the 54th minute.
Shaken but not stirred, Leverkusen halved the deficit courtesy of a classy run from Florian Wirtz and non-chalant Patrik Schick finish through the legs of Marvin Schwabe.
Leverkusen monopolised possession in their search for an equaliser, but were almost caught cold from a corner that Timo Hübers headed straight at Kovář.
Schwäbe denied Nathan Tella and Jonathan Tah, before Schick headed home at the death to force extra-time.
The tide turned, substitute Boniface completed the comeback with a close-range finish to send the holders into the last four – but only after Imad Rondic had a 112th-minute equaliser ruled out for offside upon VAR review.
The goal was Boniface’s 10th of the campaign.
