Victor Boniface: Super Eagles Forward Surpasses Haaland and Nunez in Finishing Skills

Victor Boniface, the talented striker for Bayer Leverkusen and the Super Eagles, is celebrating a triumphant season having contributed significantly to his team’s Bundesliga title win. At just 23 years old, Boniface has already made a notable impact this season, scoring 18 goals and providing ten assists in 27 appearances across all competitions under coach Xabi Alonso.

Despite these impressive numbers, Boniface's potential goal tally was curtailed due to a three-month hiatus following an injury, causing him to miss pivotal matches, including the Africa Cup of Nations where Nigeria clinched a runner-up finish.

Boniface's performance has attracted attention beyond the Bundesliga. According to a recent study by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory, he has been rated highly in finishing skills among players in Europe’s top five leagues. The report assessed players based on various metrics including ground defence, distribution, take-on, chance creation, finishing, and aerial play.

In the finishing category, Boniface was ranked higher than prominent forwards such as Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Darwin Nunez of Liverpool, and Lautaro Martinez, the top scorer in Serie A. He also surpassed fellow African striker Serhou Guirassy of VfB Stuttgart.

The only players rated above Boniface in terms of finishing were Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Deniz Undav of VfB Stuttgart, and Kylian Mbappe of PSG, positioning him among the elite finishers in European football.