Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji delivered another match-winning performance for Sparta Prague, coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in their 2-1 victory over Sigma Olomouc in a Chance Liga clash on Saturday.
Olatunji’s goal, which came in the 87th minute, took his tally to seven goals for the season in the Czech Republic’s top flight.
The victory lifted Sparta Prague to second place in the league, 10 points behind leaders Slavia Prague, who have a game in hand.
Sparta Prague had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Jan Kuchta, who converted a close-range effort from a corner.
However, Sigma Olomouc responded 12 minutes later, with Filip Zorvan finishing off a brilliant team move to bring the score level at 1-1.
With the match hanging in the balance, Sparta Prague head coach Tomas Janotka called on Olatunji to replace Albion Rrahmani in the 61st minute.
The Nigerian forward had an early chance, but his first effort flew wide of the target.
However, Olatunji made no mistake in the 87th minute.
He latched onto a long pass from Jaroslav Zeleny, before coolly slotting the ball past Sigma Olomouc’s goalkeeper Jan Koutny to seal the win for Sparta Prague.
Olatunji’s performance earned him a rating of 7.5 from Flashscore and he was named the player of the match for his crucial contribution.
The win moved Sparta Prague up to second place in the Chance Liga, with their eyes now on reducing the gap between them and leaders Slavia Prague.
Sparta will have a chance to do just that when they face Slavia in a highly anticipated Prague derby on March 8.
