Super Eagles watch: Onuachu beats Osimhen to Turkish’s Lig Team of the Season

Paul Onuachu has beaten fellow Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen to a place in Opta’s Turkish Super Lig Team of the Season after an outstanding campaign with Trabzonspor, Afrik-Foot reports.

Onuachu earned his place in the league’s statistical Best XI after finishing the 2025-26 season as joint-top scorer with 22 goals. The towering striker shared the Golden Boot with Eldor Shomurodov of İstanbul Başakşehir, but the Nigerian reached that mark in only 29 league appearances compared to Shomurodov’s 34 matches.

The 201cm forward became the focal point of Trabzonspor’s attack throughout the season. He scored 36 percent of the club’s league goals and helped the former Turkish champions finish inside the top three.

His campaign became even more remarkable because he missed several weeks during the middle of the season while away on international duty with Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Earlier in the season, Onuachu produced a stunning 10-match scoring streak in the Super Lig, becoming the first Trabzonspor player in 33 years to achieve the feat. He also picked up the league’s Player of the Month award in October.

The former Southampton star repeatedly delivered in the biggest matches too, scoring important goals against Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe during the title race.

Onuachu in Best XI: Why Osimhen missed out

While Onuachu celebrated a place in the Team of the Season, Osimhen was one of the biggest names omitted from Opta’s final selection despite helping Galatasaray win another Turkish league title.

The former Napoli striker still produced impressive numbers, scoring 15 league goals and providing five assists in only 22 appearances. His goals-per-90-minute ratio ranked among the best in the division.

However, Opta’s data-driven selection system placed huge importance on total minutes played, availability across the entire season, and overall statistical accumulation.

Osimhen managed only 1,710 league minutes after suffering injuries during the campaign, including a major setback in a UEFA Champions League match at Anfield. The missed games left him well behind Onuachu and Shomurodov in total appearances and goal volume.

The Super Eagles forward also collected eight yellow cards during the season, which could have affected his overall rating in Opta’s performance model. In contrast, Shomurodov completed the season without receiving a single booking.

Trabzonspor dominated the final Team of the Season selection with three players included. Ernest Muçi and defender Mustafa Eskihellaç joined Onuachu in the Best XI after helping the Black Sea club become one of the strongest sides in Turkey this season.

The final Opta Team of the Season also featured stars such as Fenerbahçe’s Marco Asensio and Milan Škriniar, as well as Galatasaray duo of Barış Alper Yılmaz and goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.