By Ed Dove – ESPN
Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface concluded a sensational season with German Cup glory, as Bayer Leverkusen completed the domestic double, going some way to making up for their UEFA Europa League final failure against Ademola Lookman-inspired Atalanta.
Speaking of Lookman, he was again among the goals as Serie A approached its conclusion on Sunday, while Senegal’s M’Baye Niang was the late, late hero for Empoli as they avoided relegation with almost the last kick of the season.
It’s been a decisive week in the careers of Super Eagles duo Tella and Boniface, who concluded the Bundesliga season last weekend as Invincible champions, before falling short in their midweek Europa League final against Atalanta.
As well as ending their undefeated run – stretching back for 51 matches – there were concerns about how the loss would affect Xabi Alonso’s side ahead of their German Cup final against Kaiserslautern this weekend.
However, with the prospect of a domestic double on the line — Bayer looking to become only the fifth Germán club in the Bundesliga era to achieve the feat — these unlikely champions overcame the heartbreak with a 1-0 victory, Granit Xhaka scoring the only goal of the game.
Odion Kossounou, whose lack of composure nearly cost the Ivory Coast so dearly in their Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Mali, when he was shown an early red card, was again dismissed late in the first half following two bookable offences.
It was the last thing the tired legs of Leverkusen needed, particularly with Kossounou introduced to the lineup after missing the Europa League final, but it was not enough to deny them the second German Cup of their 119-year history.
Burkina Faso centreback Edmond Tapsoba featured throughout for Leverkusen, while Morocco’s Amine Adli was introduced at the break and Tella made a late cameo as Alonso’s side sought to see out the contest.
“Two in my first season,” Boniface wrote on social media after the final, referring to the two trophies won this campaign. “Not bad.”
Having celebrated Leverkusen’s league triumph by dancing to Ghanaian hit Kolom, penned by Buk Bak, alongside teammate Jeremie Frimpong, Tella was also spotted leading the celebrations after the DFB Pokal triumph.
This time, it was Nigerian beats, with the ex-Arsenal starlet dancing to Burna Boy song Wetin Man Do Go along with Boniface and Frimpong at the conclusion of their victory over Kaiserslautern.
Both Tella and Boniface are set to be in action for Nigeria during the international break as the West African giants take on South Africa and Benin in a pair of World Cup qualifiers. After that, attention may well turn to the transfer market for Leverkusen’s African stars.
Boniface, who netted 14 league goals during his campaign Bundesliga campaign, when he was named Rookie of the Season, has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, while centreback Kossounou has been named as a for both Manchester United and Liverpool among others.
Until then, they can look back with pride on an unforgettable campaign, and while European success – and a full Invincible season – ultimately evaded them, there’s no doubt that this Leverkusen team have achieved something truly remarkable this term.
Originally published at ESPN