Nwakaeme’s “goal drought” continues

In the 11th week of the Trendyol Super Lig, Trabzonspor’s Nigerian player Anthony Nwakaeme is set to host Fenerbahçe. If he finds the net, it will mark his first goal celebration in a Trabzonspor shirt after 896 days.

During his first stint with Trabzonspor, Nwakaeme gained significant acclaim for his performances, scoring 47 goals in 145 official matches over four seasons. However, after returning to the club two seasons later, he has not displayed the expected level of performance.

Known as Trabzonspor’s most consistent attacking player during his earlier seasons, Nwakaeme endeared himself to fans with his goals, assists, and overall gameplay. This season, however, he has yet to score and has faced two injuries that sidelined him.

Nwakaeme has appeared in a total of 9 matches in the Super Lig and Europe this season, playing 360 minutes and contributing just 1 assist.

Return from Injury

After two injuries this season, Nwakaeme returned to the pitch last week in the match against Göztepe. He played in the second half of that match and has participated in training this week, making him expected to feature against Fenerbahçe.

896-Day Drought

Nwakaeme last scored on May 22, 2022, in the final week of the league against Başakşehir. Should he score against Fenerbahçe, it would be his first goal in 896 days. His only contribution this season was an assist in the 2-2 draw against Bellona Kayserispor.

Nwakaeme’s only goal against Fenerbahçe came during the 2021-2022 season in a 1-1 draw in Istanbul.

Season Performances

The forward was transferred from Israel’s Hapoel Beer Sheva at the beginning of the 2018-2019 season for a fee of 1.1 million euros. In his first season, he scored 11 goals in 31 official matches, followed by 14 goals in 43 matches in 2019-2020, 7 goals in 35 matches in 2020-2021, and 15 goals in 36 matches in 2021-2022. After a stint with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Fayha, he returned to Trabzonspor at the beginning of this season.