By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian international Victor Boniface is preparing for a new chapter in his career as Bayer Leverkusen ushers in Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, who was officially unveiled on Monday as the club’s new head coach.
Ten Hag takes the reins following the departure of Xabi Alonso, who led the club through a highly successful campaign.
The former Ajax and Manchester United boss returns to the Bundesliga with the task of building on Leverkusen’s recent success and maintaining their domestic and European competitiveness.
Boniface, who was instrumental in Leverkusen’s title-winning season, is expected to play a central role in ten Hag’s plans.
The 23-year-old forward impressed with his dynamic performances and goal contributions, becoming a fan favorite and a key figure in the squad.
Despite his impact, questions remain about Boniface’s long-term future at the BayArena, amid speculation that several top European clubs are monitoring his situation ahead of the summer transfer window.
With ten Hag now in charge, clarity is expected in the coming weeks regarding the striker’s role and future at the club.
For now, both player and manager appear poised to begin a potentially fruitful working relationship as Leverkusen prepare for the 2025 campaign.
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.
