By Wale Mustapha
Viktoria Plzen’s head coach, Miroslav Koubek, has challenged Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi to improve other aspects of his game to gain the recognition he deserves.
Durosinmi played a pivotal role in securing Plzen’s commanding 3-0 victory over Ferencvaros in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League clash on Thursday, scoring one goal and providing an assist at the Doosan Arena.
While Koubek praised Durosinmi’s abilities in front of goal, he also highlighted areas for improvement.
“Rafiu is excellent in the penalty area. He has a goal instinct, he can find the right place and get to the ball,” Koubek told club website.
“However, his lack of involvement in the middle of the game and his combination play are still noticeable. He is far from his top level yet.”
Nevertheless, the coach acknowledged the striker’s impressive performance.
“But if he scores two goals in 60 minutes of play, we will definitely not complain, he added.”
With the win, Viktoria Plzen has secured a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16, and Durosinmi’s continued development will be key to their success moving forward.
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.
