Nigeria, Feb. 18 -- Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has taken a significant step on his road back from injury, returning to light on-pitch work just over a month after undergoing knee surgery.

Boniface picked up the injury during Werder Bremen's clash earlier in December, although it later emerged that the problem was a knee ligament issue he had been managing since the middle of last year. What initially appeared minor gradually worsened, forcing a major decision.

At first, the Nigerian forward was presented with two options: continue playing through the pain or opt for corrective surgery. Following consultations with a specialist at the turn of the year, Boniface chose the latter and went under the knife. Early reports suggested ...