Young Super Eagles striker and debutant, Salim Fago Lawal endured a mixed afternoon as he scored but was later forced off with an injury during FC Viktoria Plzeň’s 3-0 victory over FC Hradec Králové in the Czech First League.
The 23-year-old was named in the starting lineup for the trip to the Malšovická Aréna, with Plzeň entering the fixture as heavy favourites.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges but had to wait until the 44th minute to make the breakthrough.
Lawal produced a clinical finish to open the scoring, with an impressive pace to outrun his marker and latch onto a long through-ball before calmly lobbing the advancing goalkeeper from outside the area.
Salim Fago Scores Second Goal for FC Viktoria Plzeň
This is Salim Fago’s second goal in six matches since joining Plzeň from NK Istra 1961.
Plzeň maintained control after the break, with Cheick Souaré doubling the lead shortly after halftime before Tomáš Ladra wrapped up the 3-0 victory in the 66th minute.
However, the afternoon ended on a worrying note for the Nigerian forward. Lawal was substituted in the 63rd minute after appearing to struggle with an injury.
While the exact nature and severity of the injury remain unclear, the setback could prove frustrating for a player whose reputation has risen sharply over the past year.
Lawal recently broke into the Nigeria national football team squad and was part of the team that finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Having only recently begun his international career, the striker is still working his way into the senior setup.
Good news is Fago’s absence may not immediately disrupt the plans of head coach Eric Chelle. This is due to the presence of established forwards who are ahead of him in the pecking order.
