The strange goal celebration that Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface made during Saturday’s 4-1 German Bundesliga victory over Hoffenheim was reportedly influenced by a Nigerian TikTok craze.
On the third matchday of the 2024–25 season, the Nigerian international led the Bundesliga champions to a magnificent triumph on the road at PreZero Arena, their second victory of the year.
The striker assisted Martin Terrier for the opening goal in the 17th minute before finding the back of the net himself in the 30th and 75th minutes to give his team a comfortable win on the road.
The 25-year-old celebrated his first goal by pulling down his shorts, much to the consternation of fans and viewers.
The video of his celebration immediately went viral, drawing reactions from football enthusiasts.
In response to the comments from fans, the Super Eagles striker explained the reason behind the bizzaire celebration, attributing it to a popular social media trend in his home country of Nigeria, adding that the gesture was not meant to offend or provoke anyone.
“I didn’t want to provoke anyone,” he said.
“I did it in front of our fans. It’s a TikTok trend by a big influencer in Nigeria. I promised him that I would cheer so much; I just hadn’t scored yet.”
Next for the German champions is a UEFA Champions League clash with Feyenoord on Thursday.
