By Wale Mustapha
Bayer Leverkusen manager, Xabi Alonso, has confirmed that Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface, will be available for the team’s UEFA Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.
Boniface has been sidelined due to a thigh injury sustained on international duty with Nigeria in November, which saw him miss the last 12 games across all competitions. However, the 24-year-old forward is now fully recovered and has returned to full training.
Speaking ahead of the crucial match, Alonso expressed his satisfaction with Boniface’s progress. “We trained again this morning and then we decided that Victor Boniface can go on the UCL trip to Madrid with the team,” Alonso revealed during a press conference.
“He is getting better and better and he will be in the squad tomorrow (today). This is very positive news for all of us and, of course, for him. Boni is feeling good and it’s great that he is back with us,” Alonso added.
Boniface’s return to fitness is a major boost for Leverkusen, as the 24-year-old has been in impressive form this season, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in 15 appearances across all competitions.
His availability for the high-stakes match against Atletico Madrid is expected to add further firepower to Leverkusen’s attack as they aim for success in Europe.
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.
