The talented Nigerian proved to be one of the heroes for the German club as they returned to the Bundesliga for the first time in 13 years.
FC St. Pauli are back in the Bundesliga after a 13-year absence, with Nigerian forward Oladapo Afolayan the hero in their promotion-clinching 3-1 win over VfL Osnabrück.
The 26-year-old set the Hamburg side on their way to victory by opening the scoring in the 7th minute in front of an ecstatic home crowd at the Millerntor.
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20:30 - 12.05.2024
Victor Boniface scores goal no.13 as 5-star Bayer Leverkusen extend unbeaten run to 50 matches
Bayer Leverkusen scored five goals on the run again in the Bundesliga with Nigeria's Victor Boniface amongst the scorers.
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05:58 - 13.05.2024
Boni got moves - Victor Boniface shows dancing skills to celebrate Leverkusen's 50-game unbeaten run
Nigeria's Victor Boniface led the celebrations with some moves after Bayer Leverkusen made it 50 matches unbeaten.
Nigerian star leads club to Bundesliga
Afolayan then added St. Pauli's crucial third goal in the second half, sandwiched between Marcel Hartel's strike, to spark wild celebrations as their long-awaited Bundesliga return was sealed.
A late Lars Kehl penalty for Osnabrück proved little more than a consolation amid the jubilant promotion party on Germany's northern coast.
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Afolayan has played a pivotal role in St. Pauli's success this season, contributing nine goals and three assists from an attacking midfield role.
The former West Ham youngster only joined on a free transfer last summer but has quickly become a fans' favourite with his energetic displays and eye for goal.
His confidence and quality shone through again on this momentous afternoon, first firing St. Pauli ahead with a neat clipped finish over the goalkeeper inside the area.
And the Nigerian fittingly got the all-important third to confirm promotion, latching onto a through ball before keeping his cool to slot past the keeper.
Afolayan's impressive impact this term has caught the eye, with reports linking him with a step up to the Bundesliga already this summer.
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But those rumours can be parked for now as he and St. Pauli prepare to mix it with Germany's elite once again after over a decade away.
The club's intense fanbase packed into one of world football's most atmospheric stadiums certainly have plenty to celebrate.
And with Afolayan leading the line, they'll back themselves to make an impact on their long-awaited return to the big time.
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