Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has come under scrutiny at Bayer Leverkusen after heading to the dressing room when it became clear he would not feature in Saturday’s dramatic 4-3 Bundesliga victory over Mainz.

Boniface was once again left on the bench as Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez made his final substitutions in the 84th minute, bringing on Equi Fernández and Jonas Hofmann for Aleix García and Patrik Schick.

With no opportunity to enter the game, Boniface reportedly walked down the tunnel instead of remaining on the bench with his teammates.

Martínez says he will speak to Boniface

Martínez said he did not notice the Nigerian’s departure during the match but acknowledged that the incident would need to be addressed.

“I didn’t notice it during the match. I don’t know anything about it. If that’s what happened, we’ll speak to him,” the coach said.

Martínez added that he understood every player wanted to contribute, but selection decisions were part of football.

“I can understand that every player wants to help the team. At the same time, these decisions are part of football,” he said.

Rolfes warns Nigerian striker

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes also addressed the incident, initially responding with humour before making it clear that Boniface should not repeat the action.

“Perhaps he went into the dressing room a little too early today. It won’t happen next time,” Rolfes said.

However, Rolfes did not portray Boniface as a disruptive member of the squad. Instead, he praised the striker’s recent progress in regaining his fitness.

“Generally speaking, I’m very pleased with Boniface’s development. Over the past few months, he’s been getting fitter week by week,” Rolfes said.

He added that Boniface had generally behaved well and remained a good member of the squad and training group.

Boniface struggling for playing time

The incident comes at a difficult point in Boniface’s Leverkusen career.

The 25-year-old has made only one Bundesliga appearance this season, playing five minutes in the opening-day 3-2 defeat to SV Elversberg, where he provided an assist for Christian Kofane.

He has subsequently been overlooked against Union Berlin, Leipzig and Mainz, while he also missed the meeting with Augsburg.

Boniface’s limited involvement follows a difficult period that has included recurring knee problems and an injury-hit loan spell at Werder Bremen last season. Leverkusen had previously indicated that the Nigerian was gradually improving physically and could eventually challenge for more playing time.

Kofane’s injury could open a door

There could, however, be an opportunity ahead for Boniface.

Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane has recently suffered an injury, potentially giving Boniface a clearer path to playing time in the Bundesliga.

But the Nigerian will have to remain patient and convince Martínez that he is ready to contribute after spending much of the season on the sidelines.

For now, the message from Leverkusen is a mixture of caution and support: Boniface’s frustration is understandable, but the club expects him to channel that frustration within the team’s expectations.