Hannover eye Victor Boniface: What the Super Eagles striker stands to gain

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has been recently linked with a transfer to German Bundesliga 2 club Hannover 96, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian striker returned to Bayer Leverkusen this summer after a difficult loan spell at Werder Bremen, but his future at the Bundesliga club remains uncertain, despite having a good pre-season that saw him score three goals in six games.

In all the pre-season games that Die Werkself played, Boniface was always second-choice. He was either behind Afonso Moreira or Patrik Schick. This is a clear indication that coach Carles Martinez does not count on him.

Now, Hannover 96 have emerged as a potential destination, with the 2. Bundesliga club reportedly considering a move for the 25-year-old before the German transfer window closes on August 31.

Victor Boniface transfer race: Hannover move, Leverkusen stay or another loan?#Hannover96 #Transfer https://t.co/ztdQ7z3dzh

— Afrik-Foot NG (@AfrikFootNG) August 27, 2026

Of course, a move from Leverkusen to Germany’s second tier would appear to be a step backwards.

For Boniface, however, it could be something much more valuable: an opportunity to get his career moving again.

Regular Football Means Everything For Victor Boniface

The biggest attraction of Hannover would be playing time. Boniface made only 11 Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen last season, playing 333 minutes without scoring and starting just twice. Injuries and fitness problems disrupted his campaign and prevented him from establishing any rhythm.

His situation at Leverkusen is not necessarily much simpler. Schick, Moreira, and Christian Kofane provide competition for the centre-forward position, while Boniface is still working towards the level of fitness required to consistently complete 90 minutes. That makes Hannover interesting.

Rather than competing for occasional opportunities at Bayer Leverkusen, Boniface could arrive at Hannover as one of the team’s best attacking players.

For a striker who has spent much of the past year trying to regain momentum, regular starts could be more valuable than simply remaining at a bigger club.

He Could Rebuild His Confidence

Boniface’s best football in Germany already showed what he can do. After joining Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise in 2023, he became an important part of Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga-winning side and finished his first campaign with the Rookie of the Season award. Across his first two Bundesliga seasons, he scored 22 goals in 42 league appearances.

That version of Boniface has not disappeared. The problem is that injuries and inconsistent playing time have made it difficult for him to reproduce it.

Hannover could give him the responsibility of being the focal point of an attack rather than another forward competing for minutes. That matters psychologically as much as tactically.

A run of games in which Boniface is trusted to lead the line, take responsibility and play through mistakes could help restore the confidence that made him such a dangerous striker in his first season at Leverkusen.

It could revive his Super Eagles career

There is another reason the move could matter, and that is Nigeria.

Boniface has made 13 appearances for the Super Eagles, but his last international appearance came in June 2025. He has subsequently missed important Nigeria matches, including World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations.

That absence has changed his position in the national-team pecking order.

Nigeria have several attacking options competing for places, and simply being on the books of Bayer Leverkusen is no longer enough to guarantee Boniface an international role.

Regular football would change the conversation. If he can stay fit, score consistently and become the attacking leader of a promotion-chasing Hannover side, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle would have a much stronger reason to bring him back into the fold.