Champions League
Nigerian Sparta Prague’s Star Victor Olatunji Sets Champions League Record
Victor Olatunji became the first Nigerian to score and provide an assist on his Champions League debut in Sparta Prague’s 3-0 victory over RB Salzburg on Wednesday.
Joining Veljko Birmancevic and Lukas Haraslin, the Sokoto-born forward quickly showcased his talent in Europe, putting in an impressive performance right from the start.
Lars Friis’ side extended their unbeaten streak to 15 matches across all competitions, starting strong at the Epet Arena by taking an early lead in the second minute, courtesy of Kaan Kairinen’s strike.
The Finnish midfielder capitalized on a loose ball following a brilliant save by goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, calmly slotting in the rebound.
Three minutes before half-time, Olatunji extended the hosts’ lead by scoring from a tight angle, assisted by captain Filip Panak.
Olatunji then turned provider as the hosts finished off the game at the hour mark, setting up Qazim Laci for a composed finish.
With that accomplishment, he made history as the first Nigerian footballer to both score and provide an assist in his debut match in Europe’s top club tournament.
Also, he became just the third African player to accomplish this milestone, following in the footsteps of Ivorian international Serge Aurier and Gabonese football legend Daniel Cousin.
Cousin first accomplished this in 2007 while playing for Rangers, fulfilling a childhood dream by netting his inaugural Champions League goal during the Scottish club’s impressive 3-0 Group E victory over Olympique Lyonnais.
Eight years later, Aurier joined the esteemed ranks as Paris Saint-Germain triumphed 3-0 over Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar Donetsk at Arena Lviv.
This result marked the end of Sparta Prague’s long wait for a Champions League victory, their first since a 1-0 win against Lazio in December 2003. It also signified the first time they have opened the competition with a win, in their eighth appearance in the tournament proper.
“I feel good, I feel great and I’m very happy for myself because I worked hard to get to this point. I’m also happy for the team,” Olatunji told UEFA media after the match.
“We always play like a team – I enjoyed it. For the third goal, I could have shot, but I wanted to give us a bigger chance (of scoring) because missing that chance would not have been good for the team.”
Next on the schedule for the Prague-based team is a league match against Ceske Budejovice on Sunday, followed by a visit to Bundesliga giants Stuttgart for their next Champions League game on October 1st.
