Super Eagles forward Victor Boniface had a mixed day at the office for Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The 23-year-old missed a penalty but redeemed himself by scoring the winner, helping his team secure all three points and move up the Bundesliga table.
The reigning champions are now fourth on the table with 14 points after seven games.
Leverkusen had an early opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the opening stages of the game, but Boniface, entrusted with the responsibility, missed the spot kick.
Playing at the BayArena, Leverkusen seemed set to rue that missed opportunity when Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush put Frankfurt ahead in the 16th minute.
Despite the setback, Leverkusen continued to push forward with intent, and their persistence paid off when Robert Andrich equalised in the 25th minute.
After a series of missed chances, Leverkusen finally took the lead, courtesy of Boniface. The Nigerian striker capitalised on a defensive error by Frankfurt to score what turned out to be the winning goal.
His goal marked his fifth of the season in just eight games.
Another Nigerian, Nathan Tella, made a late appearance in the match, coming on as a substitute for Jeremie Frimpong.
Victor Boniface’s performance in numbers
Victor Boniface’s 80-minute display for Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt showcased both his attacking prowess and determination.
Although the 23-year-old missed a penalty early in the game, he more than made up for it by netting the winning goal.
Boniface had three shots on target, consistently testing the Frankfurt goalkeeper.
He also fired two shots off target, demonstrating his willingness to take risks in front of goal.
His dribbling was effective on one out of two attempts, while his missed penalty could have been a major turning point.
The Nigerian forward was involved in two big chances, but missed both, including the penalty. His passing accuracy was decent, completing 13 out of 17 passes (76%), and he contributed a long ball and a cross in open play.
Defensively, Boniface competed in six ground duels, winning two, and was successful in three of his four aerial duels. In total, he had 38 touches, showing his involvement in the build-up play.
