Nigerian footballers Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella are on the brink of making history with Bayer Leverkusen, potentially becoming the first Nigerians to clinch the Bundesliga title since Sunday Oliseh achieved the feat with Borussia Dortmund over two decades ago.
With just one win between Leverkusen and their maiden Bundesliga championship, the team remains unbeaten in all competitions this season, tallying an impressive 24 wins and 4 draws. This outstanding performance has propelled Leverkusen 16 points ahead of perennial champions Bayern Munich.
Also read: Diego Lopes: Sodiq Yusuff’s one of the best guys in the division
The question now looming over Leverkusen’s remarkable dominance is whether they can become the first Bundesliga team to complete an undefeated season.
Leverkusen could secure the title with five games to spare if they triumph over Werder Bremen at the BayArena this Sunday. During this crucial encounter, Boniface will be eyeing his first Bundesliga goal in nearly four months.
Oliseh: Last Nigerian champion
While Boniface and Tella are set to etch their names in history, they follow in the footsteps of Sunday Oliseh, the last Nigerian to lift the Bundesliga trophy over two decades ago with Borussia Dortmund in the 2001/and 2002 season.
Notably, Leverkusen finished as runners-up during Oliseh’s triumph, marking a bittersweet moment for the club.
Pascal Ojigwe: A story of near triumph
In their pursuit of glory, Leverkusen has seen other Nigerian talents come close to championship glory. Defender Pascal Karibe Ojigwe, a Bundesliga winner with FC Kaiserslautern in 1997/98, narrowly missed clinching the title with Leverkusen in the 2001/02 season, settling for second place behind Dortmund.
Despite this near miss, Ojigwe was part of one of Leverkusen’s most successful teams, securing three runners-up medals in various competitions. Aside losing the Bundesliga title, they also lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final and 4-2 to Schalke 04 in the DFB-Pokal final.
Leverkusen’s pursuit of multiple trophies
This season presents Leverkusen with a potential golden era, having already secured a spot in the DFB-Pokal final and poised to advance to the UEFA Europa League semifinals following a decisive 2-0 first-leg victory over West Ham, with Boniface making a significant impact with a crucial goal.
Despite enduring a four-month injury setback, Boniface leads Leverkusen’s league scoring charts with 10 goals, further contributing to the team’s stellar campaign.
