Onuachu scores his 12th goal of the season on club return after AFCON duty

Nigerian international Paul Onuachu enjoyed a dream return to club football on Friday night, scoring a vital goal as Trabzonspor edged Kasımpaşa 2-1 in a keenly contested Turkish Süper Lig encounter.

Fresh from representing the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Nigeria claimed a bronze medal, Onuachu started the match on the bench.

The towering striker was introduced at the start of the second half, replacing Kazeem Olaigbe, and immediately made his impact felt.

Just five minutes after coming on, Onuachu broke the deadlock in the 51st minute. The forward calmly finished off a well-weighted pass from Christ Inao Oulaï, sending the home fans into celebration and giving Trabzonspor a deserved lead.

The goal was Onuachu’s 12th of the 2025–2026 season.

Kasımpaşa refused to back down and were rewarded for their persistence in the 61st minute.

A swift counter-attack, orchestrated by Irfan Can Kahveci, ended with Fousseni Diabaté finding the net to level the score and set up a tense final half-hour.

With the match finely balanced, Trabzonspor found the decisive breakthrough in the closing stages.

Oleksandr Zubkov emerged as the hero in the 84th minute, firing home from the left side of the penalty area after a clever assist from Anthony Nwakaeme.

The late strike secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Trabzonspor and capped an encouraging night for the home side.