By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi marked his long-awaited debut for Besiktas on Sunday as the Black Eagles edged Eyupsor 2-1 in a dramatic Turkish Super Lig clash at the Tüpraş Stadyumu.
Ndidi, who joined the Istanbul giants this summer, was handed his first competitive start by head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after completing a full week of training.
The Nigerian had previously been an unused squad member during the club’s playoff victory over St Patrick’s.
Besiktas made a bright start and took the lead in the 17th minute when Orkun Kokcu earned a penalty converted with composure by former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.
Eyupsor responded strongly and equalised on the half-hour mark through Senegalese forward Mame Baba Thiam.
Ndidi, booked in the second half, delivered a disciplined midfield display before being withdrawn in the 70th minute.
With the match seemingly destined for a draw, Rafa Silva struck in stoppage time, finishing off a clever pass from Gabriel Paulista to seal the victory for the hosts.
The win lifts Besiktas’ spirits ahead of their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Lausanne later this week, while Eyupsor remain without a point after two matches and will be desperate to bounce back when they face Alanyaspor in their next fixture.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
