Nigerian forward Anthony Nwakaeme found the back of the net as Trabzonspor secured a dominant 3-0 win over Alanyaspor in their Turkish Cup opener on Wednesday night.
Nwakaeme, who started the match on the bench, was introduced at the start of the second half, replacing Ozan Tufan.
The 35-year-old wasted no time making an impact, scoring Trabzonspor’s third goal in the 69th minute.
Edin Visca had earlier opened the scoring in the 49th minute, with Simon Banza doubling the lead in the 56th minute.
However, there was a moment of concern in the 83rd minute when Nwakaeme collided with an opponent during a challenge.
The impact saw the opponent stretchered off the pitch, while Nwakaeme escaped unscathed and must count himself fortunate to have avoided serious injury.
This victory places Trabzonspor at the top of their qualifying group in the Ziraat Turkish Cup, getting their campaign off to a perfect start.
Since rejoining the Black Sea Storm last summer after a two-year spell in Saudi Arabia, Nwakaeme has struggled with injuries, limiting his contributions. Despite this, he has now scored two goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season.
Trabzonspor will hope that Nwakaeme’s form and fitness improve as they continue their push for success in domestic competitions.
