Victor Boniface, the Nigerian striker who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, has made history by breaking a 29-year-old record in the German Bundesliga. He has taken the most shots on goal after five rounds of games, surpassing the previous record of 25 set by Uwe Wegmann in the 1994/1995 season.
Boniface achieved this feat on Sunday when he scored two goals and assisted another two in Leverkusen’s 4-1 win over newly promoted Heidenheim at the BayArena. The former Union Saint-Gilloise player has been in sensational form since joining Leverkusen this season, scoring six goals in five Bundesliga games and eight in seven across all competitions.
However, the 22-year-old was not satisfied with his performance, saying he should have scored more goals with his 38 shots on target. “If you have 38 shots on goal as a player, you should have scored at least 25 goals. So I don’t want to congratulate myself on that,” he said after the match.
Boniface’s record-breaking display has earned him praise from his coach Xabi Alonso, who described him as a “fantastic player” and a “great asset” for the team. Alonso also said that Boniface has adapted well to the Bundesliga and has a lot of potential to improve further.
Boniface is not the only Nigerian player who has impressed in the Bundesliga this season. His compatriot Taiwo Awoniyi, who plays for Union Berlin, has also scored four goals in five games, making him the joint third-highest scorer in the league along with Boniface and others.
The two Nigerian strikers will hope to continue their fine form when they face each other in the next Bundesliga matchday on Saturday. Leverkusen are currently second in the table, level on points with leaders Bayern Munich, while Union Berlin are sixth, four points behind.
Boniface made his debut for the Super Eagles in their 6-0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe in the World Cup qualifiers earlier this month, providing an assist for Samuel Chukwueze. He is expected to be part of the squad for the next round of qualifiers in October.
Source: Punch
