Paul Onuachu delivered when it mattered most on Friday night, scoring twice to lead Trabzonspor to a 2-1 victory over Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup final at the Corendon Airlines Park Antalya Stadium.
The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a spectacular finish as Trabzonspor took early control of the contest. The game however came alive after the break when Congolese forward Jackson Muleka drew Konyaspor level four minutes into the second half.
With extra time approaching, Trabzonspor won a penalty in the 78th minute and Onuachu stepped up calmly to settle the tie, sealing the club’s 10th Turkish Cup title and ending memories of last season’s 3-0 final defeat to Galatasaray.
For Onuachu, it capped a standout season in Turkey. The Nigerian forward, who completed a permanent move to Trabzonspor in June 2025, finished as the Süper Lig’s top scorer with 22 league goals and added four more in the cup campaign.
Another Nigerian, defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, also celebrated the victory after making 20 appearances since arriving Trabzonspor from Wolfsberger in January.
The night carried added emotion as veteran forward Anthony Nwakaeme made his final appearance for the club ahead of his contract expiry next month. Across two spells with Trabzonspor, the 37-year-old recorded 50 goals and 48 assists in 193 appearances, playing a major role in the club’s 2021/22 league-winning season while also lifting the Turkish Cup in 2019/20 and the Turkish Super Cup in 2020/21.
Trabzonspor, who finished third in the Süper Lig this season, will head into next season’s European campaign with renewed momentum powered by another decisive Nigerian performance on the big stage.
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