Victor Boniface’s goal drought has now stretched to 13 matches following Werder Bremen’s 1-1 draw with Mainz on Saturday, as concerns grow over the Super Eagles striker’s weight and fitness at his loan club.
The 24-year-old lasted 64 minutes before being replaced by Keke Topp, extending his goalless run to eight months. Silvan Widmer opened the scoring for Mainz in the 36th minute, while Jens Stage levelled for Bremen in the 86th.
Boniface last found the net in March during a defeat to Bochum while still playing for parent club Bayer Leverkusen.
Werder Bremen’s Managing Director of Professional Football, Clemens Fritz, confirmed that the Nigerian forward is battling weight and fitness challenges.
“We’ve identified the issues together with Victor and are helping him in every possible way,” Fritz told BILD. “He’s cooperating fully, working hard with additional training sessions, physiotherapy, and a new nutrition plan.”
Reports indicate that Boniface is carrying excess weight due to a mix of genetic factors and a high-calorie diet, which has further strained his knee — already weakened by two previous cruciate ligament injuries.
Fritz added that the club remains fully committed to supporting the player’s recovery.
Since joining Bremen, Boniface has featured in seven matches, recording just one assist without scoring. This marks a sharp decline from his stellar 2023/24 campaign at Leverkusen, where he netted 21 goals and provided 10 assists in 34 appearances. His form dipped the following season, finishing with 11 goals in 27 games.
Boniface’s loan move to Bremen followed a failed transfer to AC Milan and a collapsed deal with Al-Nassr after he reportedly failed a medical.
Due to ongoing fitness concerns, he was left out of Nigeria’s squad for the October 2025 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, as well as earlier fixtures in September.
The drought also extends to the international stage — Boniface is yet to score a competitive goal for the Super Eagles since making his debut in 2023.
