Victor Boniface and Victor Osimhen, both Nigerian strikers, find themselves in distinct footballing realms as they ply their trades in different countries, as reported by IWITNESSLIVE Sports Extra.
Although it’s still early in the 2023/24 season, it’s evident that Boniface is currently stealing the spotlight, while his namesake is facing challenges in emulating his last season’s performance.
On matchday 5 of the new season, Boniface emerged as the star when Bayer Leverkusen triumphed over Bundesliga newcomers Heidenheim with a resounding 4-1 victory. The 22-year-old striker scored two goals, one of which was a penalty, and contributed an additional assist to the team’s success.
His exceptional performance earned him a nomination for the Bundesliga Team of the Week, marking his third such recognition in just five weeks.
New signings often require time to adapt to their new surroundings, but Victor Boniface, hailing from Akure, has defied this trend by making an immediate impact since transferring from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
In the span of seven games across all competitions, Boniface has impressively netted eight goals and contributed three assists.
His exceptional performances led to him being honored as the Best Player in the Bundesliga for August, and he also claimed the Rookie of the Month award.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Osimhen currently occupies the second position on the top scorers’ chart, trailing just one goal behind Olivier Giroud, who has four goals. However, Osimhen’s recent three-game goal drought has raised concerns, highlighting his pivotal role for Napoli.”
In six games played so far – five league matches and one Champions League – Osimhen has scored three goals, a figure not bad for an average striker but the Nigerian is way beyond an average striker.
Also indicating that the two strikers are currently living in different worlds at the moment, while Boniface continues to draw praises from teammates and managers, Osimhen on his part was condemned for his altercation on the touchline with Napoli boss Rudi Garcia after he was taken off on Sunday.
“These become more noticeable when things go wrong. In these moments we do not need such attitudes, we must be united and focused on the goal. We’ll talk to the team and the coach to solve it,” Napoli captain, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, said of the Nigerian’s attitude.
By all standards, Osimhen is a player who when in form can wreak havoc, the reason why he was one of the most sought-after strikers during the last summer transfer window but at the moment the Napoli hitman is a shadow of himself.
Osimhen was applauded for his role in Napoli’s Scudetto win last season after three decades of waiting; it may not come as a big surprise that the Parthenopeans are currently languishing mid-table with the player also not at his best.
For Boniface and Leverkusen, they are flying high as they occupy the second position with 13 points, the same number of points with league leaders, Bayern Munich.
After match-day 4, Boniface set a record as the player with the most shots in his first four Bundesliga games since the detailed stats collection started in the 2004/05 season but the 22-year-old refused to rest on his laurel and Sunday, he became just the third player in the history of the league to score two or more goals in three of his first five games, a feat first achieved in 1976 by Jan Mattsson, who played for Fortuna Düsseldorf and equaled by Erling Haaland in 2020 during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Osimhen is a player with qualities and while his primary focus will be to turn the tide around in Italy and get back on the scoresheet, Boniface on the other hand will hope to continue to enjoy his success story in Germany.
