Malatyaspor Parts Ways with Sunday Mba and Three Players to Boost Turkish Super Lig Aspirations

In a strategic move aimed at enhancing their prospects in the Turkish Super Lig, newly promoted club Yeni Malatyaspor has decided to part ways with former Super Eagles attacking midfielder Sunday Mba and three other players. The club’s head coach, Ertugrul Saglam, confirmed the decision, expressing the club’s determination to ascend in the Turkish football hierarchy.

As the new Turkish league season looms just four days away, Malatyaspor’s manager, Ertugrul Saglam, stated in an interview with Fanatik that Sunday Mba, along with Dialiba, Ayite, and Ahmet Aras, has been informed to explore new career opportunities. The quartet has been deemed surplus to the club’s requirements, as Malatyaspor strives to compete with the Turkish league’s heavyweights.

Saglam’s unequivocal stance reflects the club’s commitment to progress and remain competitive in the Turkish Super Lig. He explained, “When we first arrived in Malatya and assessed the players we worked with last year and during the pre-season, we found that they fell short of modernity and Super League standards. We had to let them go.”

With an eye on the future, Saglam emphasized the club’s aspirations, saying, “With the help of Allah, Malatyaspor will continue to strive for greatness and modernity in the Super League, achieving remarkable feats for many years to come.”

Sunday Mba, known for his exploits with the Super Eagles, featured in 26 games last season but managed just two goals. His readiness to secure a place in the squad raised questions, especially as Malatyaspor made the leap to the Turkish Super Lig.

Mba, who made his senior international debut in a 0-0 draw with Angola in January 2012, etched his name in Nigerian football history with crucial goals during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, including the winning goal in the quarter-final against Côte d’Ivoire and the decisive strike in the final against Burkina Faso, helping the Super Eagles secure their third Africa Cup of Nations title.

While Mba’s contributions to Nigerian football are well-documented, the decision to part ways with him and three other players underlines Malatyaspor’s commitment to evolving and competing at the highest level in the Turkish Super Lig.