Meet Victor Boniface, the Nigerian forward who is the UEFA Europa League joint top-scorer
He is currently the UEFA Europa League top-scorer, Nigerian forward Victor Boniface has scored five goals to tie Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on the goal-scorers chart.
In this article, SportsRation presents Victor Boniface career path, achievements and prospects as he continues to bang goals for Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.
WHO IS VICTOR BONIFACE
Victor Boniface is a 1.89m tall Nigerian striker who currently plays in the Belgium First Division for Union Saint-Gilloise.
Born on December 23, 2000 to Nigerian parents, Victor is right-footed.
His Youth career is traced to Real Sapphire Football Club of Lagos, owned and sponsored by businessman Frank Peters and famed for grooming and exporting of talented players.
On March 4, 2019, Norwegian club Bodo/Glimit signed Victor Boniface from Real Sapphire FC.
That investment looked hit panic button when Boniface suffered a ligament injury two weeks after signing for the club. That injury kept him out of the season.
In September 2019, Boniface finally made his Bodo/Glimit debut. The Nigerian forward won the 2020 and 2021 Norwegian Elliterensen title before making a move to Belgium In August 2022.
On August 22, 2022, Victor Boniface joined Royal Union Saint-Gilloise on a four-year contract and has been instrumental to the club’s run to second spot in the league behind Genk.
HE ALMOST GAVE UP
The 22-year old Victor Boniface’s career almost ended following two serious injuries in his career.
At that time, Boniface was out for six months because of a cruciate ligament rupture and
Also, Boniface suffered a similar injury two seasons ago. He was out for over a year, and he missed 46 games.
“I gave up. I was no longer interested in playing football,” Boniface had told Ojora Babatunde.
“There was a period when I lost my mum, I also had a bad injury that was going to keep me out for 6-8 months, and I lost a good offer from Club Brugge.
“I lost interest in football, I forgot about my diets, I began to eat everything, I started living a normal life, I just wanted to be happy, I started partying and drinking.
” I don’t drink normally, but I started it because I was depressed, ” the 22-year old confessed.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE SUCCESS WITH UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
Victor Boniface has scored five goals this season to tie Manchester United’s English forward Marcus Rashford on top of the goalscorers chart in the UEFA Europa League.
Boniface hit a brace, in a 3-3 draw vs German Bundesliga side Union Berlin on Thursday night in the UEFA Europa league.
If he continues to bang the goals to help Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to Europa League success or at least the later stages of the Competition, Boniface will attract transfer interest from top European clubs.
The 22-year old is eligible for the Super Eagles and will surely get his national team chance if the goals keep coming for Karel Geraerts tutored Union Saint-Gilloise.
