Victor Boniface Explains Why He Wears Jersey Numbers 22 and 44: A Tribute to His Late Mother

Nigerian forward Victor Boniface has offered a rare and intimate look into the personal grief that has quietly shaped his footballing identity, revealing that his preferred jersey numbers are a deliberate tribute to his late mother.

The 25-year-old Bayer Leverkusen and Super Eagles striker explained in a recent interview that his mother passed away on August 22, 2019 — a date that has remained central to how he presents himself on the pitch. The number 22, corresponding to the day of her death, became his first choice of shirt number as a way of carrying her memory into every match he plays.

When circumstances at a subsequent club meant the number 22 was not available, Boniface found a straightforward solution: he doubled it, selecting the number 44 instead. The consistent logic behind both choices reflects the depth of the tribute and his determination to honour her regardless of the setting.

Beyond the shirt numbers, Boniface has demonstrated his strong family values in other visible ways. During his debut season in Germany, he flew his grandmother to Leverkusen to meet his teammates — a gesture that drew widespread admiration. He has also regularly paid tribute to his mother through social media posts and in various interviews over the years.

The loss of his mother in 2019 was not simply a personal tragedy for Boniface — according to reports, it was a blow that almost caused him to walk away from football altogether. That he continued and ultimately reached the Bundesliga, where he played a key role in Leverkusen’s title-winning campaign, lends additional weight to the story behind his jersey numbers.

Boniface’s journey to becoming one of Nigeria’s most prominent forwards has not been without its setbacks. A significant adductor injury disrupted a large portion of his most recent season, limiting his availability despite the promise he had shown prior to the problem. The injury represents a critical moment in his development, with his ability to return to full fitness likely to determine his trajectory at club and international level.

His emergence as a first-choice option for the Super Eagles has coincided with a broader period of transition for Nigerian football, with the national team continuing to rebuild its attacking options following the departure of several senior players from the international setup in recent years.

At club level, Leverkusen’s historic 2023-24 Bundesliga title — their first ever — provided the backdrop against which Boniface established himself as one of the division’s most dangerous forwards before injury intervened. The club finished that campaign unbeaten in the league, a feat unprecedented in Bundesliga history, and Boniface was a significant contributor to that achievement before his season was curtailed.

The story of his jersey numbers adds a human dimension to a career that has been defined as much by resilience as by talent — a quality that, given the personal loss he has navigated since 2019, appears to run deeper than football alone.