Victor Olatunji scored a famous UEFA Champions League goal on Wednesday night in his first appearance for his team—something Nigerian football superstars like Victor Osimhen, Nwankwo Kanu, John Obi Mikel, and Alex Iwobi could not accomplish on their first day in the competition.
Breaking Nigerian Records
Contrary to Iwobi (2015), Kanu (1994), Osimhen (2019), and Mikel (2006), who could not find the back of the net or create a goal in the Champions League debut, Olatunji’s netted a strike and provided a helping hand for Sparta Prague when they defeated RB Salzburg 3-1.
His entertaining performance was on the epet ARENA while playing in match day one of the competition.
Scoring and Assisting for Sparta Prague
Olatunji found the net three minutes before halftime, converting a precise pass from Filip Panák to give Sparta a 2-0 lead. He later assisted Qazim Laci’s 58th-minute goal, securing the team’s dominant win.
According to OptaJoe, Olatunji became the first Nigerian to score and create a goal in his first Champions League game and the third African to do so, after Daniel Cousin in 2007 and Serge Aurier in 2015.
3 – Victor Olatunji is the third African player to score and assist on his UEFA Champions League debut, after Daniel Cousin in 2007 (for Rangers vs Lyon) and Serge Aurier in 2015 (for PSG vs Shakhtat Donetsk). Indeed, he's the first 🇳🇬 Nigerian player to do so. Eagle. pic.twitter.com/BhSQeW09oo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 18, 2024
Having joined Sparta Prague last summer, the 25-year-old forward now boasts 13 goals in all competitions.
