Following a difficult period last season, Nigerian forward Paul Onuachu has fully regained his sharp goalscoring form in the Turkish Super Lig.
The towering striker, who plays for Trabzonspor, is currently dominating the scoring chart among all his countrymen in Europe.
Onuachu Tops Nigerian and Turkish Scoring Charts
While some Nigerian strikers are experiencing a slow start across European leagues this season, Onuachu is the clear exception.
The lanky forward leads all Nigerian players in Europe with a total of seven goals. He is closely followed by Victor Osimhen, who has netted six goals for Galatasaray across all competitions this season.
- Turkish Super Lig Leader: Onuachu is also the outright leading scorer in the Turkish topflight after the opening ten games.
- Chasing Pack: He is being chased by several major competitors, including Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce), and Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray), all of whom have six goals each.
Goal of the Month Honors
Onuachu’s brilliant run this season extends beyond mere numbers. He has earned the league’s prestigious Goal of the Month award twice already. He claimed the honor for both August and September.
His spectacular acrobatic goal in Trabzonspor’s 4-2 victory against Fatih Karagümrük was chosen as the best for September.
That goal is also widely tipped as a contender for the overall Goal of the Season award. Trabzonspor recently marked the occasion by presenting Onuachu with a commemorative plaque featuring an image of the award-winning goal.
Consistent Scoring Streak and Comparisons
Before being held scoreless in a recent 2-0 win over Eyüpspor, the 31-year-old was on a phenomenal four-game scoring streak. In that short period, he netted five goals and recorded one assist.
He started the season strongly, scoring in August against Kocaelispor and adding another against Samsunspor.
His closest Nigerian competitor, Osimhen, has seen his scoring pace slowed slightly due to injury and transfer speculation.
While Onuachu has scored all his seven goals in the Super Lig, Osimhen’s six goals are split: three in the league and three in the Champions League.
Other Nigerian forwards who have been slower to stack up goals this season include:
- Tolu Arokodare: Scored only one goal across seven appearances for his new club.Ademola
- Lookman: The reigning African Player of the Year only scored his first goal of the season recently against AC Milan. Lookman also dealt with a transfer dispute, delaying his season start until mid-September.
Turkish Move Revives Career
A move to Turkey appears to have been the key to reviving Onuachu’s career momentum. Following a frustrating spell at Southampton last season where he managed only four goals and one assist across 25 English Premier League games the striker secured a permanent transfer to Trabzonspor this past summer.
Onuachu is clearly flourishing again in Turkey. He had previously enjoyed a highly successful six-month loan stint with the club in the 2023/24 season. During that temporary stay, he scored 15 league goals and registered four assists in just 21 games.
This phenomenal performance fueled the club’s determination, which spanned two summers, to secure his permanent transfer.
Although his national team career has not been as distinguished, Onuachu’s club numbers are impressive. Over a career spanning more than ten years across Denmark, Belgium, England, and Turkey he has amassed 193 goals and 27 assists in 389 games.
Having previously won the prestigious Belgium Jupiler Pro League Golden Shoe in January 2021, he is now positioning himself to contend for the top individual honor in a new country this term.
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