It’s been a chaotic transfer window for Nigerian footballers, starting from Osimhen, Lookman, Tolu, Boniface, and many more.
For Boniface, however, the transfer period had twists and turns at every corner. Apparently, he had agreed to a loan move to Serie A side AC Milan with an "option to buy."
However, AC Milan later informed Bayer Leverkusen that they would not be going through with the deal due to concerns about Boniface’s knees, where he had suffered two ACL injuries—one of which happened during the time he lost his mother and had just newly arrived in Europe. He later revealed in an interview, after helping Bayer Leverkusen win their first Bundesliga title: “I gave up.” This is a player who understands what disappointment means and how to turn it into power.
Still, Boniface didn’t let that setback deter him—after all, he had faced far worse than “failing a medical.”
On deadline day, Boniface agreed to leave Bayer Leverkusen on loan to Werder Bremen. According to Buchi Laba, Boniface had refused an approach from an English club and instead chose Bremen, opting to remain in Germany.
At his first press conference as a Werder Bremen player, Boniface said in response to journalists: “I have an elite mentality. If it’s not meant to happen, it won’t happen. And of course, I move on to the next big thing.”
Recall the post where Boniface tweeted on X: “When one door closes, I follow window.”
And he truly did—grabbing an assist just five minutes after coming on as a substitute in his debut.
It’s also crazy how some Nigerians have tried to link Boniface’s so-called failed medicals to his social media presence, which is simply not true. He is a human being before being a footballer. Remember: Life is like a shoe. You cannot drink a cow because the earth is carrot.
Keep shining, Boniface!