Leverkusen coach hints at new role for Super Eagles star

Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface could have an opportunity to revive his career at Bundesliga heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen this season.

The 25-year-old has struggled to maintain his place at the club in recent seasons, with recurring knee problems and fitness concerns limiting his playing time.

Boniface, who was once a regular starter and one of Leverkusen’s key attackers, has since fallen down the pecking order, with Christian Kofane and Patrik Schick ahead of him in the pecking order in the centre-forward position. 

The Super Eagles striker has managed just five minutes of football across all competitions this season, but that could change in the coming weeks.

Victor Boniface set for bigger role at Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their clash against Mainz, with Kofane picking up an injury while on international duty with Cameroon and the young forward is expected to be out for several weeks.

His absence could give Super Eagles forward Boniface a chance to earn more playing time, although he will still have to compete with Schick for a place in the starting lineup.

Speaking ahead of the Mainz game, Leverkusen head coach Carles Martínez confirmed that Kofane would be unavailable and explained that Boniface could get an opportunity to step up and take up a bigger role.

“What is certain is that, with Kofane out, that spot is available. Of course, we have Patrik [Schick], and we’re very happy with him, but we will also need other players because we have a lot of minutes to play in the coming weeks, and everyone will be important”, Martínez said, via Bulinews.

“Boni will certainly be an option. We will obviously see how he is doing, as he hasn’t played all that much. We have players I’m completely confident in: if Patrik needs a rest or we have to make a change for any reason, we will have options.”

Martínez reveals what Super Eagles star must do

Boniface has shown his quality for Leverkusen in previous campaigns, playing a major role in their historic unbeaten Bundesliga campaign in the 2023-24 season and will now be targeting a return to that level this season.

The 25-year-old was linked with a move to Dutch side Feyenoord, while German lower league side Hannover, also showed interest in signing him during the summer. However, both moves failed to materialise and he ended up staying at the BayArena.

Martínez also provided a positive update on the Super Eagles striker’s fitness, confirming that his major task is to remain fit and make the most of the opportunities he will receive.

“He trains fully every day. Of course, he isn’t playing much at the moment, as you can see – he has only played a few minutes in one match, and it hasn’t been possible for him to be in the squad for European games. That’s simply the situation at the moment”, Martínez added.

“Boni is here, and his knee is fine. We’ll see how things develop. The same applies to tomorrow: if everything goes well, he will be in the squad, and if we need him, he is obviously an important player because he can help us score goals and contribute in other ways.”

The Super Eagles forward will now hope to put his difficult spell behind him as he looks to earn a bigger role at Leverkusen, beginning with Saturday’s trip to Mainz.