Victor Boniface enjoyed a dream return to the Bayer Leverkusen lineup, netting two quick-fire goals in a ruthless 7-0 pre-season thrashing of fifth-tier Sportfreunde Baumberg on Saturday.
After enduring a challenging, injury-plagued loan spell at Werder Bremen last term, the Nigerian international looked completely rejuvenated.
His sharp performance served early notice to newly appointed head coach Carles Martínez Novell ahead of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign.
Die Werkself seized total control from the opening whistle, leaving their lower-league opponents with no room to breathe. The breakthrough arrived in the 19th minute courtesy of Afonso Moreira.
Just three minutes later, Christian Kofane doubled the advantage. Moreira then struck again in the 27th minute, ensuring Leverkusen went into the interval with a comfortable 3-0 cushion.
With Martínez Novell rotating his roster across the 70-minute friendly, Boniface started the match on the bench. Introduced for the second half, the 25-year-old forward wasted no time making his presence felt.
He opened his account in the 49th minute and struck again just four minutes later to push the scoreline to 5-0.
Both goals shows the elite movement and predatory instincts that made him a nightmare for Bundesliga defenders, as he repeatedly timed his runs to convert low crosses from close range.
Robert Andrich added a sixth for the German giants before another Super Eagles star, Nathan Tella, put the finishing touches on the display, scoring in the 67th minute to round out the 7-0 victory.
Boniface’s stellar cameo is a massive psychological boost after a grueling year. A severe knee injury requiring surgery ruined his 2025/26 stint at Bremen, sidelining him for most of the year and limiting him to just 11 appearances without a single goal contribution.
However, after intensive rehabilitation, the former Union Saint-Gilloise attacker showed his elite determination by being the first player to report back for pre-season training earlier this month.
Seeing both Nigerian stars firing on all cylinders in Martínez Novell’s debut match gives Leverkusen plenty of reasons to smile as they prepare for the upcoming season.