Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen etched his name into Turkish football history on Wednesday night, scoring twice to surpass the single season record for most goals by a foreign player in the country. His goals helped Istanbul giants Galatasaray secure the Turkish Cup with a decisive 3-0 victory over Trabzonspor.
Osimhen went into the final needing two goals to break the 34-goal mark set by Brazilian forward Mario Jardel during the 2000/01 season. He achieved this feat with goals in the 46th and 63rd minutes, taking his tally to 35 goals in all competitions this season and leading Galatasaray to their 19th Turkish Cup title – a national record.
Baris Yilmaz had earlier opened the scoring for Galatasaray in the fifth minute, capitalising on a well-placed pass from Yunus Akgun.
However, the night belonged to Osimhen. His first goal came shortly after the half-time break, a powerful low drive from just outside the penalty area that found the bottom right corner of the net.
His second goal was even more impressive, showcasing his skill and composure inside the box. A sharp turn allowed him to create space before curling a precise shot into the top corner of the Trabzonspor goal.
With these two goals, Osimhen has now also climbed up Galatasaray’s list of all-time foreign goalscorers. His current tally of 35 goals in 38 appearances surpasses the record previously held by Mario Jardel.
Only seven other foreign players have scored more goals for Galatasaray, with Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi still leading the way with 72 goals.
Galatasaray now have the opportunity to complete a domestic double this Sunday with a victory over Kayserispor. Such a win would secure their 25th league title and mark the club’s fourth domestic double in history, the last being achieved in the 1998–99 season.
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