UEFA Conference League: Marius comes off the bench to snatch winner for Samsunspor

Marius Mouandilmandji continues to struggle in the Turkish Süper Lig this season but is giving Samsunspor a valuable boost in the UEFA Conference League. The Chad national team star scored the only goal of the match shortly after coming off the bench in a 1-0 first leg result against North Macedonian champions Shkëndija.

The physically imposing striker got on the end of a cross from Carlo Holse to volley in at the near post in the 77th minute, giving the Turkish club the advantage ahead of the second leg back home next Thursday.

Mouandilmandji’s playing time has been inconsistent this season, especially after the arrival of Senegalese striker Cherif Ndiaye from Red Star Belgrade. However, on Thursday it was Ndiaye who faltered when he fired a penalty kick far off target in the 7th minute.

Looking for a late boost, Mouandilmandji came on for the Senegalese in the 72nd minute and delivered almost instantly. It is his fifth goal in the competition this season, leaving him tied atop the scoring charts with three other players.

⏱️ 90+5′ : Maç bitti!

KF Shkëndija 0 – 1 Samsunspor#SHKEvSAM #Samsunspor #UECL #AtatürklüArma #FromSamsuntoEurope #UEFA #ConferenceLeague pic.twitter.com/wdH3aAApFg

— Samsunspor 🇹🇷 (@Samsunspor) February 19, 2026

The club appeared poised to obtain a bye through to the Round of 16 after a brilliant start to the main phase of the competition that left them at the top of the table. However, a late collapse saw them fall out of the top-8 which required them to advance through the Round of 32 stage.

After a productive 2024-25 campaign that saw him score 10 goals and provide 4 assists for the Süper Lig’s surprise package, the Chadian has only managed 3 league goals in 22 appearances this season. However, he has been prolific in the Turkish Cup and continental competition with 9 goals to bring his total to 12 goals from 33 matches across all competitions.