Victor Boniface: Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen striker listed among Europe’s 100 best young dribblers

Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface is one of the best young dribblers in Europe, Soccernet.ng reports.

Boniface has been the most exciting youngster in Germany this term, having picked up the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month awards for the first two months of the campaign.

The 22-year-old forward has nine goals and four assists in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen, with seven of those goals coming in the German top flight.

Only five players – none of them younger than 22 – in the Bundesliga have managed more goals than Boniface, who is in his debut campaign in one of Europe’s big leagues.

Boniface, not just a goalscorer

Boniface has managed three assists – only eight players have assisted more – in the Bundesliga to support his claims that he enjoys scoring goals as much as creating chances for his teammates.

New data has also revealed that there is more to Boniface than scoring goals.

According to a report by the CIES Football Observatory, Boniface ranks highly among the best dribblers in Europe below the age of 23.

Boniface comes in as the 14th best U-23 dribbler in Europe’s five top leagues, with 4.5 dribbles per game and a 58% dribbling accuracy.

Month don Dey end
First born don Dey strong face pic.twitter.com/HI1PP8dxwj

— Boniface_jrn (@boniface_jrn) October 24, 2023

Of players with 58% or more dribble accuracy, only Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, Burnley’s Luca Koleosho, and Girona’s Sávio Moreira make more dribbles per game than Boniface.

None of them, however, has as many league goals as the Nigerian forward, which clearly shows that he adds incredible end product to his dribbles.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is aware of all the qualities that Boniface brings to his team when he called the Nigerian lad a ‘complete’ forward.

“It is my wish that every opponent has problems with Boniface, Alonso told Bild Sport.

“He does everything well. Not only with his game, he helps the team. He has a good connection with Grimaldo, with Florian Wirtz, and with Jonas Hofmann.

“Boniface wants to enjoy the game. But not just for himself. He’s not just a classic striker, not just a regular poacher. He’s complete.”

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