A notable figure in the Super Eagles squad, Victor Boniface, expressed his joy upon receiving a nomination for the prestigious 2023/24 Bundesliga Team of The Season, according to a report by PUNCH Sports Extra.
The announcement of the nominees was made via a statement on the league’s official website on Wednesday. Subsequently, Bayer Leverkusen, Boniface’s club, shared the news of eight of their players making it to the shortlist on X, previously known as Twitter, the following day.
Celebrating this achievement, the club posted on their social media platform, “He scores goals, Boniface!”
In response, Boniface shared his club’s post and remarked, “Not a bad start to my career.”
Among the nominees, the 23-year-old striker found himself alongside five goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 15 midfielders, and nine other attackers.
The criteria for selection, as outlined on the German top-flight league’s website, were solely based on the players’ performance statistics in the Bundesliga matches.
Despite a three-month absence due to a groin injury sustained while training for the African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in January, Boniface secured his spot on the illustrious list.
It was not until April that the Nigerian international made his comeback for Bayer Leverkusen.
Having made a significant impact, Boniface tallied an impressive record of 11 goals and nine assists in 18 league fixtures, aiding Leverkusen in clinching their maiden Bundesliga title with five games remaining, whilst maintaining an unbeaten streak.
Furthermore, Boniface’s stellar performance earned him the title of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for five consecutive months from August to December 2023.
Joining him on the nomination roster were seven other Leverkusen players, including Granit Xhaka, Jeremy Frimpong, Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Writz, Jonathan Tah, Exequiel Palacios, and Lukas Hradecky.