SUPER Eagles striker Victor Boniface has expressed frustration over what he describes as unfair criticism of both his on-field struggles and his online behaviour, insisting that many of the judgments against him are misplaced and exaggerated.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Boniface, who joined Werder Bremen on loan in the summer after a dramatic late collapse of his proposed move to AC Milan, is enduring a difficult start to life in Bremen.
The 24-year-old forward is yet to score in nine Bundesliga appearances and has not secured a consistent starting role, a sharp contrast to his explosive debut season in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
Speaking to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger ahead of Bremen’s weekend clash with 1. FC Köln, Boniface pushed back against narratives questioning his professionalism and mindset.
Much of the criticism has centred on his cryptic social-media posts, which many fans and commentators have interpreted as signs of frustration or internal conflict.
Boniface stressed that the posts are harmless and have been blown out of proportion due to his current form.
“I only post these things to distract myself a bit from everything else. It’s nothing serious,” he said. “I’m not insulting anyone, it’s not hurting anyone, and it’s meaningless.”
The forward noted that he had been posting similar content long before he joined Bremen—and even during his successful spell at Leverkusen—but they did not cause controversy because he was scoring and the team was winning.
“I did the same thing when I was in Leverkusen. I’ve used this exact caption before. The difference is back then, I scored goals, and we won everything. Nobody talked about it.”
Boniface enjoyed a spectacular first season at Bayer Leverkusen, firing goals as the club won the Bundesliga and DFB Cup, with many hailing him as one of Europe’s emerging attacking stars. But repeated injuries disrupted his second campaign, limiting his appearances and affecting his rhythm.
Some critics labelled it a disappointing follow-up season, but Boniface insists the assessments were harsh and lacked context.
“We were unfairly criticised, even though we finished second and reached the cup semi-finals.
If I’m not mistaken, I scored the third-most goals for the team that season, despite missing 16 or 17 games due to injury. So was it really such a bad season for me?”
The striker maintains that footballers are often judged without empathy.
“If you play well one season and score goals, everyone expects you to repeat that in exactly the same way the following season. Otherwise, people start talking.”
Despite the injuries, pressure and public scrutiny, Boniface says his resilience has been shaped by a long and difficult journey from Norway to the peak of European football.
“From my time in Norway until now, I’ve had a lot of pain, but I’ve made it this far. I’m really very happy that I’ve managed to play football for such top clubs, so I’m no longer afraid. I have to live with it.”
On Saturday, Werder Bremen were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against FC Köln at the Weserstadion.
After leading for much of the game, Bremen conceded a 91st-minute equaliser from Said El Mala, denying them all three points and adding further frustration to a challenging phase of the season.
Boniface is hoping his fortunes turn soon both on the pitch and in the court of public opinion.