Super Eagles’ star, Paul Onuachu reached a major milestone on Tuesday as he scored his 20th goal of the season, continuing his sensational form for Trabzonspor in a 4–2 victory over Başakşehir in Istanbul that booked the Black Sea Storm a place in the Turkish Cup quarter-finals.
The win saw Trabzonspor finish second in Group A with nine points, sealing progression to the last eight of the competition.
Trabzonspor started the match strongly and took the lead in the sixth minute when Augusto converted a corner from Muçi with a precise header.
Başakşehir struck back shortly after the break, with Da Costa converting a rebound from Umut Güneş to level the scores at 1–1 in the 46th minute. The home side then briefly regained the lead in the 66th minute through Brnic, who finished from the left side of the penalty area following a Da Costa pass.
Trabzonspor responded quickly. Mustafa Eskihellaç fired a right-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th minute to equalise, and it was Paul Onuachu who restored the lead for the first time in the 84th minute.
The Nigerian striker cut in from the left before driving a precise finish into the net, demonstrating his clinical touch and composure in the box. Just a minute later, Ozan Tufan added a fourth for the visitors after a clearance from goalkeeper Doğan deflected off him.
Onuachu has now scored in each of his last eight appearances across the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup, including a brace against Samsunspor on February 7.
His current streak of form has seen him net in victories against Fatih Karagümrük, Gaziantep FK, and Fethiyespor, as well as consistent scoring in league games that has placed him firmly atop the Süper Lig scoring charts with 18 league goals.
This latest goal in the cup marks his second in the Türkiye Kupası this season.
The 31-year-old striker has now reached 20+ goals in a single season for the fifth time in his career.
He previously achieved the feat with Genk in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, scoring 35 and 23 goals respectively, and twice with Midtjylland in 2016/17 and 2018/19, with 22 and 21 goals.
His ability to consistently find the net across competitions has made him an invaluable asset for Trabzonspor’s campaign, providing both goals and leadership in attack.
Onuachu’s last scoreless outing came while representing Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations third-place match against Egypt, highlighting his rare ability to maintain a prolonged scoring run at club level.
With the win, Trabzonspor advance to the Turkish Cup quarter-finals, where they will look to build on Onuachu’s prolific form and continue their push for domestic silverware.
The Nigerian forward remains central to the club’s ambitions, with his 20-goal season putting him as Nigeria’s most consistent forward in 2025/26.
Credit: punchng.com
