Victor Olatunji, the 25-year-old Nigerian striker, made an unforgettable UEFA Champions League debut on Wednesday, scoring a goal and providing an assist in Sparta Prague’s commanding 3-0 victory over FC Salzburg at the epet ARENA in Prague. This impressive performance marked a historic moment for Olatunji and his club.
Olatunji netted his team’s second goal in the 42nd minute, becoming the third African player to both score and assist on their debut in Europe’s prestigious club competition. The only two African players to have achieved this before him were Gabon’s Daniel Cousin for Rangers in 2007 and Ivory Coast’s Serge Aurier for PSG in 2015.
After helping put Sparta Prague up 2-0 following Kasper Kairinen’s early 2nd-minute strike, Olatunji assisted Qasim Laçi for the third goal in the 58th minute. The 17,000 fans in attendance celebrated Sparta’s comprehensive victory, which ended their 19-year wait for a Champions League win.
This match was especially historic for Sparta Prague, as it marked their first Champions League match at Letná Stadium in 19 years and their first win in the competition since their 1-0 triumph over Lazio in December 2003. It was also the first time Sparta Prague opened their Champions League campaign with a victory, in what is their eighth appearance in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Olatunji shared his excitement, telling UEFA media, “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.” He added, “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.”
Born in Sokoto, Olatunji has been playing in Eastern Europe since 2019, starting his career with Podbrezová after leaving Inter Milan. He has also played for AEK Larnaca, Liberec, Alki Oroklini, and Mattersburg. Currently in his second season with Sparta Prague, Olatunji continues to impress and make his mark on European football.