By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Werder Bremen head coach Horst Steffen has praised Nigerian striker Victor Boniface for his impressive display in his first Bundesliga start for the club since joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.
Boniface featured for 85 minutes as Bremen battled to a hard-fought 1–0 home win over Union Berlin on Saturday.
Although he did not score, his movement, strength, and link-up play earned plaudits from both his manager and supporters, who gave him a standing ovation as he left the pitch late in the game.
“The game gave me the feeling he’s ready now,” Steffen said after the match.
“He confirmed that impression. I’m very happy that he was able to help us win the game. He showed how good he can be. It’s nice that he lasted so long and performed well.”
Speaking to reporters afterward, Boniface expressed his delight at starting and contributing to the team’s victory.
“I felt good; it was the first game I’ve played from the start in a long time,” the 24-year-old said. “But the most important thing is that we won the game.”
Boniface’s performance continued his encouraging form after making a decisive impact as a substitute in the previous week’s 2–2 draw against Heidenheim, where he set up Romano Schmid’s equalizer with a precise assist from the byline.
The Super Eagles forward appears to be finding his rhythm again after a slow start to life in Bremen, with Steffen confident that Boniface can play a key role in the club’s campaign this season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
