March 14, (THEWILL) — Nigerian striker, Paul Onuachu, headed Trabzonspor to a 1-0 victory over Çaykur Rizespor at Papara Park on Saturday, his 21st Süper Lig goal of the season, sealing a fourth consecutive league win.
Substitute Oleksandr Zubkov delivered a dangerous cross into the six-yard box six minutes after the interval, and Onuachu timed his run to perfection to steer a calm finish beyond the Rizespor goalkeeper. It was his eighth goal in successive league outings and his 10th in 10 appearances across all competitions — a run not seen at Trabzonspor since Burak Yılmaz in 2011.
Rizespor posed a consistent threat on the counter despite trailing, and Cameroonian goalkeeper, André Onana, made two vital late saves to preserve the clean sheet, denying Frantzdy Pierrot and Emrecan Bulut in the closing stages. Young Nigerian centre-back, Chibuike Nwaiwu, was equally composed alongside Stefan Savić at the back.
The result moved Trabzonspor to 57 points from 26 matches, level with Fenerbahçe in second place and seven behind leaders, Galatasaray. Fatih Tekke’s side travel to Eyüpspor next weekend knowing anything short of victory could allow their Istanbul rivals to pull further clear.
After the final whistle, Onuachu held up the jersey of assistant coach Orhan Kaynak, who died earlier this week, in an emotional tribute before the home supporters. His 21 goals now account for nearly 40 per cent of Trabzonspor’s total league output this term.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
