Victor Boniface leads Nigerian contingent into UEFA Champions League Round of 16

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria internationals Victor Boniface and his Bayer Leverkusen teammate, Nathan Tella, have successfully secured their places in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, joining an exclusive group of Nigerian players advancing to the knockout stages.

Boniface, who has been in exceptional form for Leverkusen, will be joined in the round of 16 by fellow Nigerians Chuba Akpom of Lille and Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge.

This quartet ensures that Nigerian representation remains strong in the Champions League, despite the exits of other Nigerian players like Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, and George Ilenikhena, whose teams were knocked out in the round of 16 playoffs.

Lookman, in particular, had a bittersweet night, scoring for Atalanta but missing a crucial penalty as his side was eliminated 5-2 on aggregate by Club Brugge.

Now, attention turns to the round of 16, where Boniface, Tella, Akpom, and Onyedika will be eager to make their mark and continue flying the Nigerian flag high on the European stage.