Paul Onuachu has secured a spot in the Turkish Super Lig Team of the Week after his impressive display for Trabzonspor. The Nigerian forward provided the crucial second goal in Trabzonspor’s 2-1 away victory at İstanbul Başakşehir, underlining his growing influence in the side.
Through nine league appearances this season, Onuachu has already found the net seven times a striking return. He was not alone in earning honours from his club: goalkeeper Erhan Erentürk also made the Team of the Week. Elsewhere in the selection: defenders Rick van Drongelen (Samsunspor), Ümit Akdağ (Alanyaspor), Tayfur Bingöl (Kocaelispor) and Guilherme (Konyaspor) were included.
The midfield trio chosen this time comprised İlkay Gündoğan (Galatasaray), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş) and Marco Asensio (Fenerbahçe). Joining Onuachu in the attacking line were Leroy Sané of Galatasaray and Rafa Silva of Beşiktaş.
Editorial
From the moment Paul Onuachu strode onto the pitch in his claret-blue shirt, there was a subtle but unmistakable sense of resurgence. His goal the second in a 2-1 triumph at İstanbul Başakşehir might appear routine in the cold light of statistics, yet in truth it marks the return of a predator’s confidence. In a league increasingly defined by tempo and technical finesse, Onuachu’s aerial prowess and predatory instinct reward the classical striker’s art.
There is something quietly compelling about his journey. Having navigated the challenges of adaptation from European moves that promised far more than they delivered he arrives now in Türkiye with the resilience of a player determined to re-write perception. Seven goals in nine appearances is no fluke; it is evidence of consummate professionalism meeting acute opportunity.
Trabzonspor’s gesture in honouring their goalkeeper Erhan Erentürk alongside Onuachu both in the Team of the Week speaks volumes about the team balance. For too long, clubs have placed disproportionate faith in flair alone here, discipline and finishing combine beautifully. The defenders and midfielders selected alongside Onuachu provide context this is a league where solidity matters as much as spectacle.
What I find particularly striking is the broader narrative talented African forwards making decisive marks in leagues beyond Europe’s “big five”. Onuachu is not merely scoring he is embedding himself into a fabric of football where his name begins to carry weight. It is in these moments that players transcend transfers and statistics they become stories.
Yet, there remains caution can this rich vein be maintained? Football is merciless for those who peak too early or flash too briefly. The truest measure of progress will be whether Onuachu can consistently deliver in big games, shoulder responsibility when the margin narrows, and show the hunger that marked his early promise.
In the meantime, Onuachu’s inclusion in the Team of the Week is more than recognition it is affirmation of purpose, a statement of intent. If he sustains this level, then his legacy will not simply be as a scorer of goals, but as a figure who helped redefine his club’s ambition. In football’s vast theatre, that is far from trivial.
Did You Know?
- Onuachu stands at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), making him one of the tallest strikers currently operating in the Turkish Super Lig.
- Before joining Trabzonspor, Onuachu played for the Belgian side Genk and won the Belgian Pro League’s top scorer award in the 2019-20 season.
- Onuachu is the first Nigerian player to score seven goals within the first nine matches of a Turkish Super Lig season.
- In his time in Belgium, Onuachu set a club-record for fastest hat-trick by a Genk player scoring three goals in under nine minutes.
- Trabzonspor have only had two players included in the Team of the Week so early in a season since the 2018-19 campaign Onuachu and Erentürk making this an unusual double honour for the club.
