Former Golden Eaglets star Samson Tijani has opened up on what life has been like since joining Dukla Prague from Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg last summer, Footynaija.com reports.
Tijani entered the spotlight after captaining the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria at the 2019 U17 World Cup in Brazil where he gave a very good account of himself with impressive performances in the middle of the park.
His performances at that tournament earned him his Salzburg move but the young midfielder’s time in Austria was blighted by injury setbacks that ultimately hampered his progress.
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Game time was hard to come by at Salzburg and after loan spells at TSV Hartberg, FC Leifering, Wolfsberger AC and Fredrikstad, Tijani eventually secured a move to Dukla Prague in the summer of 2025.
At Dukla, the 23-year-old has settled in nicely and is steadily establishing himself as a crucial player for the Czech side. During his short stay in Prague, Tijani admits his perception of the Czech top flight has completely changed.
“Before joining the Czech league, I didn’t know much about it. From the outside, many people think it’s just an average league and don’t really pay attention to it,” he said in quotes revealed by Flashscore.
“But when you look at how Czech clubs perform in European competitions, you realise that it is far from easy and deserves a lot more respect.
“Coming in was challenging at first because it is a different ball game. The league is very intense and competitive, and it took time to adjust to the style and tempo. However, with time, things have settled well for me.
“I am enjoying the experience and learning every week. We will see how everything turns out at the end of the season, but I am confident and focused on finishing strongly.”
This season, Tijani has made 17 appearances across all competitions this season, with 15 of those coming in the Czech 1. Liga where he’s made 10 starts. Dukla Prague are currently occupying 14th place on a 16-team standings after recording 2 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats.
