Victor Boniface: Leverkusen Boss Alonso Makes You ‘Up Your Game’ 

Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
TT
20

Victor Boniface: Leverkusen Boss Alonso Makes You ‘Up Your Game’ 

Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)

Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface said Xabi Alonso has a particular advantage over other coaches on the training pitch.

"Imagine you're training and your coach is doing better than you," Boniface told AFP in an interview.

"Then you want to step up your game.

"For him to be involved in training gives us a boost," Boniface said of Alonso, who "has won everything that can be won in football".

"Sometimes he tells me of players he played with, with similar abilities to me. He tries to improve me in my weakest areas."

Leverkusen host third-placed Stuttgart on Saturday knowing they are four games away from becoming the first team to go through a Bundesliga season unbeaten.

Their runs to the German Cup final, where they face second-division Kaiserslautern, and Europa League semi-finals, where they take on Roma, mean they have gone a record 45 games unbeaten in all competitions this season.

'I love penalties'

Boniface, 23, was born in the southern Nigerian city of Akure and told AFP he was "always" a football fan.

Earlier this month, he coolly dispatched a penalty to open the scoring in the 5-0 home rout of Werder Bremen which made Leverkusen Bundesliga champions for the first time.

Leverkusen had never previously won a league title in their 120-year history.

The club's record of second-placed finishes -- often somehow snatching defeat from the jaws of victory -- saw them tainted with the unwanted "Neverkusen" moniker, but Boniface said he was not nervous when he took the spot-kick.

"No. To be honest, I didn't feel pressure. We're football players.

"Moments like this -- I took the responsibility to help the team. That's why I'm here. I love penalties."

The pressure of a spot-kick pales in comparison with some of the struggles Boniface has already endured in his young career.

He moved from Nigeria to Norway at 18, signing with Bodo/Glimt.

Despite playing a part in the club's first-ever Norwegian title in 2020, he tore his ACL twice and later said he considered quitting the game.

After a successful stint with Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, he moved to Leverkusen last July, receiving his first Super Eagles call-up earlier this season, which he called "a dream come true".

He scored 16 goals in his first 23 games but was then injured again while preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, missing four months including his country's run to the final, where they lost to hosts Ivory Coast.

"It was really difficult when I got injured. When I got injured, in my head I said 'OK, I'm missing AFCON, I'm going to miss a lot of games for Leverkusen.'

"During that time it was difficult for me, but I have my teammates and a club which takes care of me.

"It's difficult but at the same time it's just football. There are good moments and bad -- it's just how you take it."

'With this team we can do something'

Many have tipped Boniface for the top and he does already have one essential ingredient: a signature celebration.

"To be honest, it doesn't mean anything," Boniface said of his swaggering, finger-pointing celebration.

After scoring an equalizer in Belgium, he was being chased by a teammate and the striker "was just trying to do something really funny".

"I saw the clip and thought -- this is nice. It's a funny celebration."

Boniface was seen partying alongside his teammates well into the night after wrapping up the title, but also took the time to tell thousands of fans gathered on the stadium grass the season was not over.

"Sometimes it's difficult to switch out of party mood," Boniface said, admitting "the guys who were out, I think some of them had a little bit of a tough day the next day at training."

Boniface said confidently "with this team, we can do something", but refused to look past the next challenge.

"Right now, I don't think anyone is talking about Roma in the dressing room. We are focusing on the game on Saturday.

"After the Stuttgart game, we can focus on Roma."

Boniface, who admits to being a childhood Arsenal fan, said he was not thinking longer term either.

"Right now my full focus is on Leverkusen and being ready to try and achieve more good things with the club."

He does however look forward to playing in the Champions League with Leverkusen, saying "it will be one of the proudest moments for me."



Defeated Villa Eager to Go Again in Champions League 

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
TT
20

Defeated Villa Eager to Go Again in Champions League 

Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)
Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP)

Narrowly defeated by Paris St Germain at the Champions League quarter-final stage, Aston Villa are now focused on getting straight back next year into Europe's top club competition.

"I am very proud of everything we did in the Champions League," Villa boss Unai Emery said as the dust settled from a pulsating clash with PSG whom they beat 3-2 in Tuesday's second leg but lost 3-1 to in the first game for an overall 5-4 defeat.

Villa are seventh in the Premier League but only a point off fifth which would secure them a Champions League berth again.

"It is now most important to get Europe again. The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches (of the Premier League) is to try and get Europe and the Champions League," Emery said.

His pride at Villa's strong showing, after a four-decade absence from Europe's elite, was tinged with frustration at just failing to pull off a remarkable comeback as they came so close to scoring a fourth goal at Villa Park that would have levelled the tie on aggregate.

"We were close," he said, adding that he had to push his team on to achieve ever more. "Still a little bit more to do better, to try to get it."

Aston Villa captain John McGinn, who scored on Tuesday, echoed the sentiment.

"Obvious disappointment but I am proud of my teammates, proud of the club. We have come a long way. We were so, so close tonight. We just fell a little bit short," he said.

"We had chances to take the game to extra time but we've got to be proud about the way we came back against one of the best teams in the world, to fight to the end. We want more. We want to be back here next season and we will try our best to do that."

McGinn said the players gave their all against a superb opponent. "We never gave up. It was chaos, but we gave absolutely everything and I think every Aston Villa supporter will leave with a huge sense of pride," he said.

"I've never played against Real Madrid or Barcelona, but in my career they (PSG) are the best team I have faced. I'm getting old and I certainly wouldn't like to play against them every week."