BEVERLY HILLS, May 15, (THEWILL) – On a night when there was jubilation for pairs of Nigerian players in different teams across European football, the case was not so for the Super Eagles duo of Henry Onyekuru and Oghenekaro Etebo in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
While defender Leon Balogun and midfielder Joe Aribo celebrated the unbeaten, record-breaking lifting of the Scottish Premiership trophy, with an equally fulfilled excitement for midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and striker Kelechi Iheanacho as Leicester downed Chelsea to claim the English FA Cup title and even strikers Paul Onuachu and Cyril Dessers scored to give Belgian Club Genk victory over Anderlecht, Onyekuru and Etebo were left ruing the loss of their League title to Besiktas.
The dream of the Galatasaray pair to claim the trophy were crushed with the emergence of Besiktas as Turkish champions for the 13th time in their history and the first time after the won and defended it between 2015 and 2017.
Although Onyekuru was not included on the team sheet and Etebo, who was, sat on the bench throughout, Galatasaray beat Yeni Malatyaspor 3-1 in Istanbul to match the point haul of their title rivals.
However, the victory was not enough as coach Fatih Terim’s side still finished second behind Besiktas on goal difference advantage making Besiktas, who also won their match against Goztepe by two goals to one, the Champions in one of the closest races in recent memories in the Super Lig.
It was not to be their night of celebration as their compatriots were doing across Europe. As that loss settles the campaign for the season, it leaves a gulf of uncertainty in the air. The pair of Galatasaray Super Eagles’ players joined the Turkish club on loan for the season, Onyekuru from Ligue 1 side Monaco, and Etebo from English Championship side Stoke City.
The question hanging in the air now is will they return to their parent clubs, which will be another repetition for Onyekuru, or will they remain at Galatasaray? However, a third option exists with a new transfer window opening up, for them to find a new side to ply their trade in the hopes of better fortunes.
A forward of Onyekuru’s stature, with a five-goal contribution for Galatasaray in 14 matches, as against their best striker, Radamel Falcao’s nine in 17, should stand a good chance of crafting a better move out of Monaco, if he returns to Ligue 1.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
