Bundesliga
Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella bag Leverkusen’s honorary citizenship for Bundesliga glory
By Monsurah Olatunji
In an unprecedented move that reflects their remarkable achievements, Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella have been granted honorary citizenship by the town hall of Leverkusen, as reported by ScoreNigeria.
Their outstanding contributions played a pivotal role in Bayer Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga victory, lifting their first-ever league title with an impressive five matches remaining in the season.
Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable journey to Bundesliga glory saw them maintain an unbeaten streak of 29 league games, clinching victory in 25 matches and drawing four.
Their remarkable performance showcased a formidable combination of offensive prowess, netting 74 goals, and defensive solidity, conceding only 19 goals throughout the season.
This stellar performance earned them the distinction of boasting the second-best attack and the best defense in the division.
While Boniface holds a Nigerian passport, Tella possesses both a British passport and his Nigerian green passport, having been born to Nigerian parents in England. Their multicultural backgrounds add to the richness of their contribution to Leverkusen’s success, symbolizing unity and diversity in sports.
In addition to honoring Boniface and Tella, Leverkusen City is exploring the possibility of commemorating their triumph by naming a street after coach Xabi Alonso.
This proposal emerged organically from supporters, who humorously coined the name “Xabi-Alonso-Alle” for one of the roads leading to the BayArena.
Despite the city’s existing rule against naming streets after individuals, the proposal underscores the immense impact of Alonso’s leadership on Leverkusen’s journey to Bundesliga glory.
The significance of Boniface and Tella’s achievement extends beyond personal accolades, marking a historic moment for Nigerian football.
They became the first Nigerians since Sunday Oliseh in 2002 to clinch the Bundesliga title, further solidifying Nigeria’s footprint in global football and inspiring future generations of Nigerian talent.
