Onuachu outshines Salah but compounds Super Eagles crisis

Paul Onuachu roared back to his prolific best on Sunday evening, netting a brilliant first-half brace to get off the mark for the season as Trabzonspor completely dismantled Gençlerbirliği 5-0 at the Şenol Güneş Sports Complex.

The Matchweek 4 Süper Lig encounter offered a desperately needed release for the Nigeria international. After dominating the Turkish top flight with 22 league goals last season, Onuachu had endured a frustrating five-match scoring drought to begin the 2026/27 campaign. 

During that barren run, the 32-year-old found himself overshadowed by the arrival of global superstar Mohamed Salah, who quickly became the focal point of Trabzonspor's attack. Against Gençlerbirliği, Onuachu forcefully reclaimed his spotlight.

However, Super Eagles fans could barely celebrate his return to form ahead of the September international break before the 30-year-old suffered an injury that forced his substitution before halftime.

The news could not have come at a more ill-fated time for Eric Chelle, as it comes days after first-choice striker Victor Osimhen sustained an injury against Basaksehir.

Trabzonspor wasted no time breaking down the visitors' defence, and Onuachu was at the centre of the early onslaught.

The Nigerian target man finally ended his drought in the 5th minute, finding the back of the net to give the hosts a rapid 1-0 lead and setting the tone for a dominant performance. 

The spotlight briefly shifted to Trabzonspor's marquee signing in the 14th minute when Mohamed Salah confidently converted a penalty won by Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, doubling the advantage to 2-0. 

Refusing to be outshone, Onuachu struck again just eight minutes later to secure his brace, effectively killing the game off before the half-hour mark. 

The celebrations were tainted in the 43rd minute as Onuachu was substituted off for Franculino Diju after he picked up an injury.

The hosts continued their relentless pressure in the second half. Ernest Muçi extended the lead in the 59th minute, and Onuachu's replacement, Djú, added a fifth in the 78th minute to cap off a flawless 5-0 victory for the home side.