By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian defender Leon Balogun has praised his Glasgow Rangers teammate Jack Butland for his pivotal role in the club’s dramatic Europa League victory over Fenerbahçe.
Rangers entered the second leg of their Round of 16 tie with a 3-1 advantage but saw that lead erased as Fenerbahçe matched the scoreline in the return fixture.
However, Rangers secured their passage to the quarter-finals after triumphing 3-2 in a penalty shootout, with Butland stepping up to make two crucial saves.
Balogun, who started the match in Istanbul, was full of praise for Butland’s bravery during the shootout.
“I was praying for Jack, praying that God share some of his glory with him. He has done it. I’m just happy for Jack. He really deserves it. He’s a big character in the dressing room,” Balogun told the Scottish Sun.
Balogun also hailed Butland’s impact off the pitch, describing him as a key leader within the team.
“He loves the club, cares about the boys and like I say, it’s great for him to have a moment like that,” he added.
Rangers will now look ahead to their quarter-final clash in the UEFA Europa League after a thrilling and hard-fought qualification.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
