By Kayode John
Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has revealed that he was not living with his biological father in Nigeria before he making the journey to Europe to play professional football.
Boniface was raised in a military barracks, but he rarely saw his own father who was in another part of the country.
In a video posted on X, the Bayer Leverkusen star clarified his family background.
“Most people don’t know, so I will explain. I saw a lot of comments recently online when I spoke about my mum,” the 23-year-old said.
“My dad is from Jos, my mum is from Edo State but I grew up with my mum. I only met my dad once in my life before I moved to Europe.”
Boniface shares a close relationship with his grandmother after losing his mother.
He started his career at Lagos-based club Real Sapphire in 2018, and moved to Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt a year later. He left Norway after three seasons to join Union Saint-Gilloise from where he moved to Leverkusen in Germany last year.
Boniface made his debut for the Super Eagles last year in Nigeria’s final qualifying fixture for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He was selected for the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire but pulled out due to a groin injury he sustained during camping.
The Nigeria international made history with Bayer Leverkusen last season, as the club won their first-ever Bundesliga title, and topped it up with the DFB-Pokal (German Cup).
