Super Eagles forward Anthony Nwakaeme has admitted his disappointment after Trabzonspor failed to keep up the pressure on Galatasaray in the race for the Turkish Süper Lig title, Afrik-Foot reports.
Trabzonspor were held to a 1-1 draw at home by İstanbul Başakşehir in their week 30 clash, a result that further slowed their push for the title. It means the Black Sea club have now drawn their last two matches, both ending 1-1, following an earlier stalemate away to Alanyaspor.
These results have left Trabzonspor in third place with 65 points, and four points behind leaders Galatasaray, who still hold the advantage in the title race.
Nwakaeme, who captained the side, has continued to play a key role in attack, even though he has not scored or assisted in the last two games. Before this dip, the experienced forward produced a vital assist in a big 2-1 win over Galatasaray earlier in April, a result that briefly reignited hope.
After the latest draw, the 37-year-old did not hide his frustration.
“Losing 4 points in 2 weeks is certainly not a good situation,” Nwakaeme said as per Fotomac. “In this particular match, both we and the fans tried to give our all. It’s a very sad situation. It’s not good for us, but these things happen in football. We need to look ahead. We need to focus on the Samsunspor match and continue on our way.”
Trabzonspor focus shifts to final four games
Despite the setback, Nwakaeme insists the team must quickly move on as the season enters its final stretch.
Trabzonspor have four matches left and must win all of them to stand any real chance of catching Galatasaray.
Their run-in includes tough fixtures, including an away trip to Beşiktaş, and matches against Konyaspor, Göztepe and Gençlerbirliği. Any further slip could end their title hopes completely.
Nwakaeme believes the team must take things step by step.
“We need to evaluate each match individually. We want to win every game, and we wanted to win today as well, but this match is over now. We need to move on,” he noted.
“We are trying to get three points from every match we play. What we need to do now is take it one match at a time. We will leave today in the past and focus on the remaining matches. We can do four out of four, but it won’t be easy. We will evaluate each match individually and focus on the next one. This match is over, and we need to look ahead.”
The challenge facing Trabzonspor is clear. Galatasaray have been in strong form, winning most of their recent matches, and remain firm favourites to win the title.
Nwakaeme was one of the most influential stars when Trabzonspor last won the Super Lig in 2022. At the time, it was the club’s first league win since 1984.
