By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian midfielder Umechi Akuazaoku announced himself in style for Sakaryaspor K.D. on Sunday, scoring the decisive goal in a 3-2 victory over Iğdır F.K. in the TFF First League.
The 22-year-old, who joined the Turkish side from Derot FC Academy earlier this month, came off the bench to make an immediate impact, finding the winner just three minutes after his introduction.
With the game level at 2-2, Umechi rose inside a crowded penalty area to meet a corner and fired home, sparking jubilant scenes among the home supporters.
It was Umechi’s first goal for Sakaryaspor in only his second appearance since signing on August 7, 2025. Speaking after the game, he expressed his delight at making such a swift contribution.
“First of all I just want to thank God, without Him I don’t think this would have been possible, and I’m just happy to help the team coming off the bench,” he told reporters.
“This is a very good team, I’m just happy for the guys and the rest of the squad. I’m just so, so happy.”
The result keeps Sakaryaspor in fifth place in the league standings as they continue their push for promotion, with the club eyeing a long-awaited return to the Turkish Super Lig next season.
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.
