SUPER Eagles striker Victor Boniface continues to struggle in front of goal, after his barren run extended to 13 matches in Werder Bremen’s 1-1 draw against Mainz on Saturday in the Bundesliga.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the 24-year-old forward, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, lasted 64 minutes before being replaced by Keke Topp, as his goalless streak spanning both club and country reaches eight months.
Mainz took the lead through Silvan Widmer in the 36th minute, but Jens Stage rescued a late point for Bremen with an 86th-minute equaliser.
Boniface’s last goal dates back to March 2025, in Leverkusen’s defeat to VfL Bochum. His current troubles mark a striking dip from his sensational 2023/24 campaign, where he fired 21 goals and 10 assists in 34 matches and became one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards.
The following season 2024/25 saw a drop to 11 goals in 27 appearances, before injuries and setbacks halted his rise.
Bremen’s Managing Director of Professional Football, Clemens Fritz, confirmed that Boniface is battling weight-related fitness issues, linked to natural body composition and diet.
“We’ve identified the issues together with Victor and are helping him in every possible way,” Fritz told BILD.
“He is cooperating fully and working hard with extra training, physiotherapy, and a new nutrition plan.”
The additional body weight is believed to be straining his knee, which has suffered two previous cruciate ligament injuries, a major concern for the club’s medical team.
Boniface joined Bremen following a failed move to AC Milan and a collapsed transfer to Al-Nassr, after he reportedly did not pass his medical test.
His fitness struggles have now cost him a place in the Nigerian national team, with José Peseiro excluding him from recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.
Boniface is also yet to score a competitive goal for Nigeria since making his debut in 2023.
With the Bundesliga season advancing and his credibility under scrutiny, both Bremen and Nigeria will be watching closely to see whether the powerful forward can regain sharpness, match rhythm—and his once-feared scoring touch.
