Victor Osimhen scores brace to seal Turkish Cup glory for Galatasaray

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen delivered a scintillating performance in the Turkish Cup final, scoring a brace to help Galatasaray secure a 3-1 victory over Trabzonspor on Wednesday night.

The win marked a significant milestone in Osimhen’s debut season with the Istanbul giants, as he clinched his first piece of silverware with the club.

The match, held at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, saw early drama as Trabzonspor’s Barış Yılmaz opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

However, the tension escalated when Trabzonspor’s forward, Anthony Nwakaeme, had a goal ruled offside. It was then that Osimhen stepped up to deliver two clinical finishes, both of which proved decisive in securing the Turkish Cup for the Lions.

Osimhen’s first goal came shortly after the disallowed Nwakaeme strike, as he latched onto a cross and buried the ball in the net with poise.

His second was even more impressive, a clinical volley from inside the box that left the Trabzonspor goalkeeper with no chance.

The stadium erupted in jubilation as Osimhen was substituted in the 75th minute, receiving a standing ovation for his heroic performance.

Belgian veteran Dries Mertens replaced the Nigerian forward, but the damage had already been done.

With this brace, Osimhen now has an astonishing 35 goals across all competitions in what has been a remarkable loan spell at Galatasaray. His Turkish Cup heroics have solidified his status as a fan favorite and key player for the team.

This victory keeps Galatasaray firmly in contention for a historic domestic double, with the Lions now needing just one more point from their remaining three matches to secure the Turkish Super Lig title.

Osimhen’s contributions have been instrumental in Galatasaray’s charge towards league glory, and with the team in peak form, the future looks incredibly bright for both the club and the Nigerian striker.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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