Soccer
Nigeria and Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu. Photo Credit: Trabzonspor X
Paul Onuachu’s flawless penalty record in the Turkish Super Lig came to an end on Friday night as Trabzonspor were held to a 1-1 draw by Antalyaspor in a tense league encounter, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigerian striker endured a night of contrasts, finding the net for the second match in a row but missing a late spot kick that would have completed a turnaround and kept Trabzonspor firmly in the title hunt.
Handed a starting role after scoring off the bench against Kasimpaşa last time out, Onuachu was at the heart of Trabzonspor’s attacking play, though it was the hosts who struck first.
Antalyaspor took the lead just before half-time when Sander van de Streek finished clinically in the 43rd minute, sending Trabzonspor into the break chasing the game.
The visitors responded with greater urgency after the restart and were level eight minutes into the second half. Onuachu earned a penalty while contesting a header in the box and took responsibility himself, sending the ball straight down the middle to beat goalkeeper Julian and restore parity.
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Soccer Paul Onuachu and Trabzonspor’s missed chance
Trabzonspor sensed an opportunity to complete the comeback and were handed a golden chance in the 79th minute when a handball awarded them a second penalty. Once again, Onuachu stepped up.
This time, however, the Nigerian opted for the same approach and was denied by Julian, who blocked the effort with his legs. It marked the first penalty miss of Onuachu’s Süper Lig career, ending a perfect run of five successful spot kicks, according to OptaCan.
Despite sustained late pressure from the visitors, Antalyaspor defended resolutely to secure a valuable point on home soil.
The result proved costly for Trabzonspor, who missed the chance to climb into second place and cut the gap on league leaders Galatasaray. They remain third with 42 points, four behind the leaders, while Antalyaspor stay 11th on 20 points.
For Onuachu, the disappointment of the miss was partly offset by another personal milestone. His equaliser took his Super Lig tally to 13 goals, leaving him joint-top of the scoring charts alongside Başakşehir’s Eldor Shomurodov.
That return is all the more notable given the striker’s recent four-week absence on international duty with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored once as the Super Eagles finished with a bronze medal.
Trabzonspor next face Fethiyespor in the Turkish Cup on Tuesday, while Antalyaspor travel to Igdir FK in the same competition.
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele
A lifelong fan of Arsenal and the Super Eagles, Imhonlamhen is a football writer and editor at Soccernet.ng, where his journey as a journalist began more than six years ago. Since then, he has helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and guided it toward some of its proudest milestones.
With a background in Engineering and further training in journalism and digital media, Imhons brings both precision and passion to his storytelling. His love for football runs deep, but he also follows boxing, chess, and athletics with equal curiosity.
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