Beyond the result, it was the way Victor Boniface got his goal that caught Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director’s eye.
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Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has praised the quality of Victor Boniface’s winning goal in the club’s 2-1 pre-season friendly win over Newcastle United.
Boniface came off the bench to score the decisive goal, beating his marker with a clever dummy before slotting the ball calmly into the bottom corner.
“That’s Quality”
Speaking to BILD, Rolfes said he was pleased to see the Nigerian forward find the net in front of a large crowd, praising the composure of the finish. He broke down the technical detail of the move, explaining that beating a blocking defender with that kind of movement inside the box reflects real quality, and that when a defender doesn’t block him, Boniface still has the pace to simply blast the ball toward goal. Rolfes described the goal as an encouraging sign that Boniface is gradually rediscovering the form that made him such a threat before his injury setbacks.
A Player Working His Way Back
Boniface spent last season on loan at fellow Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, a spell disrupted by fitness problems that ultimately required knee surgery and cost him a place at AFCON 2025. Performances like this one, even in a pre-season setting, will be seen as an important step in his push to reclaim a regular role at Leverkusen this season.
