Cameroonian striker Christian Kofane ended a long goal drought by securing a 1-0 victory for Bayer Leverkusen against Hamburger SV on Wednesday. This match, a rescheduled game from Bundesliga's matchday 17 originally planned for January, had been postponed due to structural damage to Hamburg's stadium roof.
Kofane, who started the match, scored the only goal in the 73rd minute, ending a period of poor form since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January. The 19-year-old forward capitalized on a lobbed pass from Ibrahim Maza, beating the Hamburg goalkeeper with a powerful shot.
Coach Kasper Hjulmand made five changes to his starting eleven, partly due to injuries. Montrell Culbreath made his senior debut, replacing the injured Arthur.
Leverkusen dominated the match, creating numerous opportunities. Culbreath in the 7th minute and Terrier, whose volley hit the post, could have opened the scoring. A penalty awarded to Maza was even canceled after VAR consultation. The dominance continued into the second half, with a header from Tapsoba, before Kofane finally found the net.
Hamburg almost equalized in the final minutes, but Leverkusen's goalkeeper, Janis Blaswich, made a crucial save. With this victory, Leverkusen reduces the gap with Stuttgart, fourth and the last team to qualify for the Champions League, to three points.
Kofane, 19, is considered a powerful and fast player with good technique. He joined Leverkusen in July 2025 from Spanish club Albacete.
Leverkusen's next match will be this Saturday, March 7, against SC Freiburg. This will be followed by important matches against Arsenal in the Champions League, and then against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Kofane's goal keeps Leverkusen in the race to qualify for the next Champions League.
