According to a report by The Punch on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Nigerian midfielder Mubarak Suleiman has made history in the UEFA Champions League after becoming the first Nigerian teenager to start a match in the competition since Alex Iwobi achieved the milestone in March 2016.

The 19-year-old earned a place in Slavia Prague’s starting lineup during their 2-2 draw against Fenerbahçe at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul on Tuesday night. His achievement ends a decade-long wait for a Nigerian teenager to start a Champions League fixture.

Iwobi was the last Nigerian teenager to accomplish the feat when he started for Arsenal against Barcelona in the round of 16 in March 2016. Suleiman’s latest achievement highlights the emergence of young Nigerian talents in European football.

The midfielder made his second appearance in the competition after featuring against Sabah FK on October 13. Slavia Prague lost that encounter 2-0 in Azerbaijan, but Suleiman received another opportunity to demonstrate his abilities against Fenerbahçe.

Despite the difficult opposition, the youngster delivered an encouraging performance. He created two key passes and completed six accurate passes into the attacking third before being substituted for Pavel Kacor in the 85th minute.

Slavia Prague displayed impressive resilience after conceding twice within the opening 11 minutes. Oğuz Aydın and Mason Greenwood scored for Fenerbahçe, putting the Turkish side in a strong position to secure victory on home soil.

However, the visitors responded in the 15th minute when Lukas Provod capitalised on a misplaced pass from Matteo Guendouzi to reduce the deficit and give his team renewed hope.

Slavia Prague continued pushing for an equaliser and eventually secured a dramatic point in the 90th minute. Kacor produced an outstanding acrobatic volley to make it 2-2, completing the visitors’ remarkable comeback.

Nigerian forward Emmanuel Ayaosi played a crucial role in the late equaliser by delivering the cross that Kacor converted. The goal also marked Ayaosi’s first senior strike for Slavia Prague at the age of 20.

Suleiman has registered one goal and one assist in eight appearances across all competitions this season. He was initially expected to join the Super Eagles for an international friendly against Russia but withdrew before the match.

His Champions League milestone represents an important achievement in his career as he continues developing in European football. The midfielder will hope to build on his recent progress, secure more opportunities at Slavia Prague and strengthen his chances of earning future invitations to represent Nigeria at senior international level.