Switzerland and Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s midfielder, Granit Xhaka, has backed his club teammate, Victor Okoh Boniface, to become a success with the Nigerian national team in the future, Soccernet.ng reports.
Xhaka has rejuvenated his career since joining Xabi Alonso’s side in the summer of 2023 and quickly became a crucial player for Die Werkself, helping them to the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal titles whilst the team remained unbeaten.
On and off the pitch, Xhaka and Boniface have developed a brilliant relationship, with the former Arsenal captain seen bowing before Boniface’s grandmother last season, a notable sign of respect between Africans.
Speaking after Leverkusen’s 5-0 win against RB Salzburg, Xhaka spoke about Boniface’s potential and backed the ex-Union Saint-Gilloise striker to come good when playing for the Super Eagles in the future.
“It’s always difficult because you don’t have a lot of time to adapt, enough time to work through the tactical setup everyday with the same coach, and same players, but, everyone wants to play for their country.
“He’s important for us(Leverkusen), and for sure, he’ll be important for Nigeria in the future and I’ll say stay calm because he’s a great guy and a great footballer.
“He will give a lot to make the people happy for sure,” the former Arsenal captain told OmaSports TV.
Boniface’s form with the Super Eagles has been poor, as the 23-year-old has scored just once in eleven outings for Nigeria.