Sports

Springsoca Academy Product Salim Fago Lawal Completes Move to Viktoria Plzeň

Published

8 months ago

January 29, 2026

Our Reporter

When Salim Lawal Fago completed his move to Czech Republic giants FC Viktoria Plzeň in January 2026, the transfer marked another significant step in the rise of a Nigerian forward whose potential had been identified years earlier at Springsoca United Football Academy.

The 23-year-old Nigerian striker joined Viktoria Plzeň from Croatian side NK Istra 1961 on January 27, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Czech club. The move came after his emergence as one of Istra’s notable attacking players and following his inclusion in Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

For Springsoca United, however, Fago’s arrival at one of the leading clubs in Czech football represented more than another Nigerian player making a European move. It was the latest chapter in the development of a player whose potential had been recognised at the Lagos-based academy several years earlier.

In a May 2022 report, Springsoca United Academy’s Sporting Director, Oladapo Emmanuel, described the young Fago as a player with huge potential, highlighting his physical and technical qualities. The report identified him as a centre-forward and noted his pace, strength, aerial ability, work rate and versatility in attack.

Emmanuel also spoke about the young forward’s prospects, describing him as a promising player and pointing to the qualities he believed could take him far in football.

Those early observations have since taken on greater significance as Fago’s career has progressed beyond Nigerian youth football.

Born in Lagos on January 15, 2003, Fago developed into a powerful centre-forward capable of operating in several attacking positions. His career subsequently took him to Croatia, where he represented NK Istra 1961 and established himself in European football. He joined Istra in August 2023 before eventually earning his move to Viktoria Plzeň.

At Istra, his performances helped raise his profile, with the forward eventually earning recognition at international level. He was included in Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and made his senior international debut around the tournament period.

Fago’s move to Viktoria Plzeň followed the departure of fellow Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi, who left the Czech club for Italian side Pisa, amid reports that the Czech side was looking to reinforce its attacking options

Viktoria Plzeň’s decision to sign Fago further underlined the progress of a player who had gone from being regarded as a promising academy forward in Lagos to establishing himself in European club football and earning recognition at senior international level.

The transfer was reported as a club-record signing by Nigerian football outlets, with reports putting the deal at €2.4 million plus a further €600,000 in potential add-ons. Fago’s contract with Viktoria Plzeň runs until June 2029.

For Springsoca United Academy, Fago’s journey provides a notable example of the long-term development pathway the academy seeks to create for young footballers.

In 2022, when he was still associated with the academy, Fago was described as a player with the physical attributes, technical qualities and mentality required to progress. Less than four years later, that young prospect had completed a major transfer to a club competing in the Czech top flight and had established himself as a Nigeria international.

His journey from Lagos to Croatia and eventually to the Czech Republic illustrates the distance a young Nigerian footballer can travel when early potential is matched by development, competitive opportunities and the right progression pathway.

For Springsoca United, Salim Fago Lawal’s emergence on the European stage stands as one of the academy’s notable success stories, a player whose potential was recognised at a young age and who has continued to climb the professional football ladder.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

3 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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