By Dorcas Francis Koji
Victor Boniface’s encouraging preseason revival at Bayer Leverkusen has suffered an early setback, with the Nigerian striker restricted to just one appearance since the start of the new campaign and his latest cryptic social media activity adding further intrigue to his situation.
The 25-year-old appeared to have turned a corner during preseason under new head coach Carles Martinez, scoring three goals in friendly matches against Baumberg and Newcastle before producing another impressive display in Leverkusen’s 3-1 victory over Kickers Offenbach.
Boniface came on at half-time in that encounter and created two goals, raising hopes that he could reclaim a prominent role after two difficult seasons disrupted by persistent knee problems, failed transfer moves and an injury-hit loan spell at Werder Bremen.
His struggles had previously contributed to a significant decline in his market value, which fell from a reported peak of €45m to around €5m after the setbacks.
However, the Nigerian has featured just once for Leverkusen this season, providing an assist in the club’s 3-2 opening-day defeat to Elversberg. He was subsequently absent from the squad for Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Augsburg because of fitness concerns.
Boniface was also left out of Leverkusen’s Europa League league-phase squad, meaning he will not feature against NK Celje.
Martinez had earlier explained that the striker was still recovering physically when the squad selections were made, although he expressed optimism about his progress.
“Two months ago, when we started our preparations, this question was not to be expected. He was not ready, he was in pain, his knee was not doing so well, and physically he was very far behind,” the coach said.
“But the good thing is that his knee is responding better. There are still occasional minor issues, but it is much, much better. Because such a talent deserves a better year for him, and not just this year, but throughout his career.”
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has also dismissed suggestions that the club could pursue former Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema following the termination of his contract with Al-Hilal.
“Our squad is complete,” Rolfes said. “The club can rely on Patrik Schick, Christian Kofane and Victor Boniface in attack.”
Schick and Kofane have both made strong starts to the campaign, scoring four goals each in their first four appearances, further increasing the competition for attacking places at the BayArena.
Against that backdrop, Boniface deleted all the posts from his Instagram account last week before sharing an emotional message thanking God for remaining with him through difficult periods.
“Dear God, I have no idea what is happening in my life right now, but I just want to say thank you for being with me in my highs and my lows. My life has not always been easy, but one thing I know: You have never left my side. You are my everything,” he wrote.
The message prompted an outpouring of support from Nigerian supporters, many of whom encouraged the Super Eagles striker to remain strong following his injury struggles and difficult spells on the sidelines.
One supporter described Boniface as a fighter and urged him not to give up, while another highlighted the mental challenges involved in recovering from serious knee injuries and multiple surgeries.
Boniface has not publicly explained why he deleted his Instagram posts or confirmed whether the messages are linked to his current situation at Bayer Leverkusen.
His latest post, shared in the early hours of Wednesday, simply read, “Be happy,” offering no further explanation.
With his Leverkusen contract running until 2028 and Schick and Kofane currently ahead of him in the attacking pecking order, Boniface faces a battle to regain full fitness and convince Martinez that he deserves a bigger role.
The situation could also reignite speculation over his future when the January transfer window opens, particularly after Hannover were previously linked with a possible move for the Nigerian during the summer.
For now, Boniface’s immediate priority appears to be returning to full fitness and finding a route back into regular first-team football as he attempts to revive a career that promised so much before injuries disrupted his momentum.
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