Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, freshly promoted to Ligat Ha'Al after 13 years away from Israel's top flight, have added another piece to their rebuild: Nigerian attacking midfielder Christopher Boniface has signed with the club, Sport5 reports.
The 24-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season, giving Ramat Gan's coaching staff a player they hope can add craft and legs to midfield ahead of senior-flight football.
Boniface arrives from Al-Kharaitiyat in Qatar's second division, where Sport5 says he contributed goals and an assist last season. Before his move to the Gulf, he spent time in Armenia with FC Van and Ararat Yerevan, spells that first put him on the radar of Israeli scouts.
He becomes the latest name in what has been a busy rebuilding summer at the club. Brazilian winger Luan Campos has arrived from Romanian football, Portuguese defender Jota Gonçalves has joined from Portugal's second tier, and Kazakhstan-based left-back Farid Ibrahim has also signed, alongside domestic additions Maksim Falkowski and Tamir Glazer.
The scale of the incoming class reflects the size of the challenge facing Messay Dego's squad. Ramat Gan sealed their return to the top flight only on the final day of the Liga Leumit season, drawing 1-1 away at Hapoel Kfar Saba to edge into the last promotion spot.
It ends a 13-year exile from Ligat Ha'Al for the Ramat Gan-Givatayim club. Rather than opening at their old home ground, the newly promoted side are set to begin the 2026/27 season at a new 6,000-seat stadium in Rehovot, with the league campaign kicking off on August 22.
With the opener under three weeks away, further arrivals are expected before the squad is finalised. For now, Boniface gives Ramat Gan a goal-contributing midfielder from the past two seasons abroad to throw into a Ligat Ha'Al squad still very much taking shape.
