UCL Qualifiers: Rafiu Durosinmi’s goal not enough as Cyriel Dessers’ Rangers advance

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye 

Viktoria Plzen’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League were dashed despite an early goal from Rafiu Durosinmi in the second leg of their qualifier against Rangers.

Durosinmi’s strike helped the Czech side mount a comeback, but it wasn’t enough to overturn a 3-1 defeat in the first leg at Ibrox, as Rangers progressed with a 4-2 aggregate victory.

The match in Prague saw Plzen take an early lead courtesy of Durosinmi’s sharp finish, putting Rangers on the back foot and giving the hosts hope. However, Lyall Cameron leveled the tie in the second half with his first goal for Rangers, making it 1-1 on the night.

Plzen continued to fight back, and with just 10 minutes remaining, Svetozar Marković gave the home side a brief glimpse of hope, putting them ahead 2-1.

However, the deficit from the first leg ultimately proved too much, and Rangers held on to progress to the next round of the qualifiers.

Rangers, led by Cyriel Dessers, will now face Club Brugge in the play-off round, but the night wasn’t without its own frustrations for the Scottish side.

Dessers, who had been instrumental throughout the tie, was forced off the pitch due to a knee injury, which could sideline him for several weeks. The injury raises doubts over his availability for Rangers’ upcoming fixtures.

Despite the setback, Rangers’ overall performance across both legs was sufficient to secure their place in the next round.

The 2-1 victory on the night and 4-2 aggregate scoreline sees them one step closer to qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition, while Viktoria Plzen will now turn their attention to domestic matters after another disappointing European campaign.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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