By Wale Mustapha
Xabi Alonso, manager of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, has provided an encouraging update on the recovery of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury.
Boniface, a key player for the Super Eagles, sustained the injury while on international duty in November.
Initially expected to return by December, the 24-year-old striker faced a setback in his recovery, leading to a longer rehabilitation period. Since then, Boniface has been training individually as part of his recovery process.
Alonso shared positive news during an interview on the club’s website, revealing that Boniface is progressing well and could make his return soon.
“Maybe next week, but only maybe. There is still a question mark,” Alonso said.
“He is well on the way to feeling better. After that, he needs training time.”
Boniface has been in stellar form for Leverkusen this season, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances across all competitions.
Fans of the club will be hoping the Nigerian forward is able to return to action soon and continue his impressive performances for Die Werkself.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
