AFCON veterans Onuachu and Inao Oulai combine forces in Trabzonspor victory

Paul Onuachu and Christ Inao Oulai combined to open the scoring in a 2-1 Turkish Super Lig victory for Trabzonspor over Kasimpasa on Friday.

The Ivorian-Nigerian connection helped the hosts to a second consecutive victory in league play. Inao Oulai, the 19-year-old midfielder who emerged as a starter for the Elephants at the AFCON, provided an excellent pass into the penalty area for the Nigerian striker to do the rest with a clinical finish.

The towering Super Eagles striker now has 12 goals in 16 league matches, only one shy of the league’s top scorer Eldor Shomurodov.

Malian forward Fousseni Diabaté leveled the match soon after the hour mark for Kasimpasa. However, Oleksandr Zubkov’s remarkable late goal sealed the victory for Trabzonspor with an assist from another Nigerian forward, Anthony Nwakaeme, who came off the bench for his first goal contribution this season.

 

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Inao Oulai continues to enjoy an excellent campaign himself. After a promising 2024-25 season in France’s Ligue 2 with Bastia, the midfielder now has 2 goals and 4 assists in only 12 matches across league and cup duties. He was one of the young Ivorian talents who impressed at the AFCON in Morocco, where earned a place in Elephants coach Emerse Faé’s XI to announce himself as a player to watch.

The victors remain in third place on the Super Lig table, moving to within a point of Fenerbahce and only two points back of Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray. They will be in action against next Friday away at Antalyaspor.