'Emotional' Rangers hitman dubbed 'main character' in eye-catching display as Ibrox ace compared to Dutch icon

Rangers hitman Vaclav Cerny continued his impressive form in front of goal as Czechia beat Gibraltar 4-0 on Tuesday night to continue their perfect start to World Cup qualifying.

The 27-year-old has been in fine form this season at Ibrox, scoring 17 goals in all competitions since joining on loan from Wolfsburg in the summer, but hit the headlines prior to the international break when he was caught on camera spraying the contents of a water bottle towards home fans following Rangers’ late winner during in the 3-2 win over Celtic. Reports later claimed his actions were being investigated by police.

If Cerny was affected by the Old Firm furore though, he certainly didn’t show it at the Estádio Algarve, where he was involved in three of his team’s goals. Opening the scoring with a superb long-range blast on 21 minutes, he then teed up Patrick Schick with a smart assist just after the break to double the lead before his corner led to third goal, scored by Pavel Šulc. Jan Kliment would add extra gloss to the victory in injury time.

Rangers' Vaclav Cerny at full time after the 3-2 victory over Celtic at Parkhead. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Compared to 96-cap Netherlands icon Arjen Robben by Czech coach Ivan Hašek recently, the Příbram-born was visibly frustrated when he was taken off in the 79th minute, however, as his side began their qualifying campaign with back-to-back wins following last week’s 2-1 victory against the Faroe Islands.

"Yeah, he apologized after two minutes,” smiled Hašek. “It happened to him recently at Rangers when he was a substitute. He also didn't understand that he was going down. That's just Venda [Cerny], an emotional player. That's how he is. He didn't want to leave the field, just like the others didn't want to either.

“He's a difference-maker, capable of getting past opponents and creating an advantage. I'm sorry we don't have more like him. France has about eight of them, they immediately and quickly direct the ball at opponents. We have one or two. Karel Poborský could do it, but we don't train them otherwise. I believe they will grow from, for example, the seventeen that have now reached the World Cup. They are incredibly valuable because they make a difference and are outnumbered in closed defences. Venda [Cerny} is valuable for us and for Rangers."

Heavily praised for his performance, Czech site isport.blesk.cz wrote that he and his teammate Schick “took the role of the main characters” in the win, adding that the “technically outstanding” Ibrox man “did everything that makes him famous and led coach Hašek to compare him to Robben last week.”

Meanwhile, Rangers outcast Rabbi Matondo was involved in more late drama for Wales as they grabbed the latest of late goals to nab a point away to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying, though Ibrox teammate Tom Lawrence remained an unused substitute.

The 24-year-old endured a tough start to the season at Ibrox, and was ruled out for four months due to a troublesome hamstring he suffered against Celtic in September. Allowed to leave the club in January, Matondo has enjoyed more regular game time after joining up Bundesliga 2 outfit Hannover 96 on loan.

Coming off the bench to score his first international goal in the 3-1 win over Kazakhstan on Saturday, Matondo was once again a late substitute for Craig Bellamy’s side as they rescued a 1-1 draw against North Macedonia in Skopje. The Dragons looked destined to suffer defeat when ex-Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski scored in the 91st minute, only for David Brooks to bundle home with the final kick of the game to ensure the visitors took home a well deserved point.

Elsewhere, Hamza Igmane was an unused substitute for Morocco, as second-half goals from Nayef Aguerd and Brahim Diaz sealed a comfortable 2-0 win over Tanzania.