Victor Boniface may yet revive his fortunes at Bayer Leverkusen after the club announced the dismissal of Erik Ten Hag following a poor start to the Bundesliga season, Footynaija.com reports.
The Nigerian forward had fallen out of favour under the Dutchman, but the change in the dugout could open a new chapter for the 24-year-old striker.
Ten Hag was sacked on Monday, 1 September, after only two competitive matches in charge. His Leverkusen side suffered a 2–1 home defeat to Hoffenheim before throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 3–3 with Werder Bremen at the BayArena.
The Guardian confirmed the decision, which leaves the German club searching for a new manager just weeks into the campaign.
Boniface, who scored 21 goals across all competitions in his debut season at Leverkusen, had endured a frustrating few weeks under Ten Hag. His proposed loan move to AC Milan collapsed in August after he reportedly failed a medical due to knee concerns.
Following that disappointment, he was omitted from the squad for the Bremen game. When asked about the situation, Ten Hag reportedly told reporters:
“When he is there, he can be part of the group and has to fight for his position. He trained the last two days, so he was not in the squad today. When he is training every day with our team, then he has to fight for his place.”
With Ten Hag now out of the picture, the former Union Saint-Gilloise striker will hope a new manager sees his strengths differently and restores him to regular action.
The dismissal also comes at a time when Boniface’s international career has hit a snag. He was left out of Eric Chelle’s latest Super Eagles squad for the September World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.
His lack of game time at club level contributed to that decision, but a turnaround at Leverkusen could put him back in contention.
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