&w=64&q=75)
Nigeria international Victor Okoh Boniface was involved in a heated altercation with his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Emiliano Buendia during Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Boniface, who came on in the 77th minute, clashed with Buendia in stoppage time after the two fought for a golden opportunity in Frankfurt's penalty box. The tension began when Buendia’s initial shot was mishandled, and Boniface’s follow-up was blocked by the Argentine midfielder.
Despite a Frankfurt defender blocking his shot, Boniface was visibly frustrated by Buendia’s interference. He confronted the Argentine, pointing his fingers at him before pushing him away.
The confrontation was eventually broken up by teammate Nordi Mukiele and other players, who intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
READ ALSO: ‘Thank you, Lord,’ - Nigeria striker Victor Boniface after surviving dangerous accident
Boniface saw this moment as a chance to score and impress Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, especially since he has struggled with limited playing time.
The Super Eagles striker has been benched for three consecutive matches, including a full 90 minutes on the sidelines during a draw against Bayern Munich.
In total, Boniface has played just 20 minutes over the past three games and was unhappy with missing the chance to make an impact on the field.
Xabi Alonso explains what happened
After the game, Alonso addressed the incident, stating he had spoken to Boniface and emphasized that the situation would not be blown out of proportion.
Alonso explained at his post-game press conference:
I spoke with Boni. I don't have all the details, but Boni wanted to shoot, it can happen. We don't want to make something big out of something so small. We're staying calm. On Monday we'll keep going again.
Boniface has 10 goals in all competitions this season but has mostly played a back-up role due to the form of Patrick Schick, who has 22 goals.
READ ALSO: Pep Guardiola joins Arteta to slam 'poor' FA Cup balls after 20 shots off target
Boniface has started 14 times this season, making 20 appearances overall. Leverkusen's next match is in the Champions League on Wednesday, where they face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 tie.