Nigerian youngster Mubarak Suleiman has matched a notable UEFA Champions League milestone previously achieved by Super Eagles star Alex Iwobi, Footynaija.com reports.
The 19-year-old midfielder started Slavia Prague’s league-phase clash against Fenerbahce on Tuesday, becoming the first Nigerian teenager to start a Champions League match since Iwobi did so for Arsenal in March 2016.
Alex Iwobi started Arsenal’s round-of-16 second-leg meeting with Barcelona at Camp Nou, a decade before Suleiman followed in his footsteps against the Turkish giants.
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Suleiman’s landmark appearance came in an entertaining encounter in Istanbul, where Slavia recovered from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw.
Fenerbahce struck twice inside the opening 11 minutes through Oguz Aydın and Mason Greenwood, leaving the visitors with an early mountain to climb.
However, Slavia responded through Lukas Provod in the 15th minute before Pavel Kacor scored in the 90th minute to rescue a point for the Czech champions.
Suleiman played until the 85th minute before making way for Kacor, contributing to a night that marked another important step in his development at the club.
The Nigerian midfielder had made his Champions League debut a week earlier, coming off the bench against Sabah FK on October 13, before being handed his first start in the competition against Fenerbahce.
He has also featured in Slavia’s domestic campaign this season, registering a goal and an assist in the Czech 1. Liga.
The milestone is an encouraging sign for the teenager, although he will need consistent performances to establish himself as a regular starter in Slavia’s team.
With further Champions League fixtures ahead, Suleiman will now be looking to turn the landmark appearance into sustained progress at club level and position himself for more starts in Europe’s biggest club competition.
