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Super Eagles star Victor Boniface matches Okocha’s record
Victor Boniface, the Super Eagles forward, has made headlines by matching the Bundesliga goal record of Nigerian legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha.
In Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel on Saturday, Boniface opened the scoring in the fourth minute, marking his fourth Bundesliga goal of the season.
Although his potential game-winning goal was later ruled out by VAR, the match was significant for the 23-year-old striker, as his tally in the German league now stands at 18 goals—equaling Okocha’s record, which was achieved during his time with Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1990s.
What makes Boniface’s achievement even more remarkable is that he has reached the 18-goal mark in just 29 Bundesliga appearances, whereas Okocha needed 90 matches to reach the same number.
This accomplishment places Boniface joint-fifth with Okocha on the list of Nigerian players with the most goals in Bundesliga history.
Boniface is now chasing the records of other Nigerian strikers in the Bundesliga. He needs four more goals to surpass Taiwo Awoniyi, 13 to overtake Anthony Ujah, and 15 to claim the second spot currently held by Victor Agali. However, the all-time Nigerian goal scorer in Bundesliga history remains Jonathan Akpoborie, who leads with an impressive 60 goals.