Nigerian footballer Victor Boniface has been named the Bundesliga Player of the Month for August 2023, surpassing competitors such as Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Wolfsburg’s Jonas Wind. The Bundesliga explained in a statement on Thursday, “The award is determined through a two-step selection process that takes into account both the players’ individual performance data and a vote by fans and experts. The August award is based on performances from Matchdays 1 and 2 of the season.”
The 22-year-old forward for Bayer Leverkusen had an impressive start to the league season, providing an assist in Die Werkself’s victory over Leipzig. He followed this with a two-goal performance in the 3-0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
“The Nigerian recorded more shots than any other Bundesliga player in August – 14. On just the second matchday, against Gladbach, he unleashed 11 attempts on Jonas Omlin’s goal, the same number that Harry Kane managed across Matchdays 1 and 2,” the Bundesliga noted. “Boniface’s tremendous work ethic has also left a strong impression: his 54 challenges contested are the highest in the Bundesliga, and his aggressive pressing has led to a 43 percent success rate. The striker’s performances also earned him the Rookie of the Month award, making him the first player since Erling Haaland in 2020 to be named both Player and Rookie of the same month.”
Boniface was a part of the Super Eagles team that secured a 6-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe in their final game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.