Bayer Leverkusen provided a compelling statement of intent ahead of the new campaign, as African international stars Ibrahim Maza of Algeria and Nigerian Victor Boniface spearheaded a 2-1 preseason victory against Newcastle United.
The exhibition encounter burst into life almost immediately. Algerian international attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza made an instantaneous mark inside sixty seconds, taking advantage of setup work from Cameroonian forward Christian Kofane to unleash a thunderous 25-yard strike past Newcastle goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček. The early goal set a commanding tone for the German side, who displayed sharp possession sequences against their English hosts.
Newcastle clawed their way back into the contest just before the interval when defender Malick Thiaw turned in an equalizer in the 44th minute, converting an assist from Anthony Elanga to send the teams into the break deadlocked at 1-1.
As both managers reshuffled their squads in the second half, Leverkusen turned to their talismanic forward. Nigerian international striker Victor Boniface entered the fray off the bench and produced the decisive moment eight minutes from time. Assisted by French defender Jeanuël Belocian, Boniface capitalized on a loose ball in the penalty area, driving home a clinical finish in the 82nd minute to secure a 2-1 win.
