“We’ve made our offer” – Trabzonspor offer Super Eagles star post-football job

Anthony Nwakaeme’s legendary journey at Trabzonspor may not be ending after all, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian forward could soon begin a new chapter at the Turkish giants after club president Ertuğrul Doğan confirmed that the club have already offered him a role within their scouting structure.

Nwakaeme recently brought down the curtain on his playing career with another trophy after helping Trabzonspor beat Konyaspor 2-1 in the 2026 Turkish Cup final on Friday night. The victory allowed the 37-year-old to complete what he had earlier described as his final mission, delivering one more trophy to the club’s supporters.

The former Super Eagles winger leaves Trabzonspor as one of the most loved foreign players in the club’s history. Across two spells between 2018 and 2022, and again from 2024 to 2026, he scored 50 goals in 193 appearances while winning every major domestic trophy available in Turkish football. He remains the highest-scoring Nigerian in the history of the Black Sea Storm.

His finest moment came during the 2021-22 campaign when he inspired Trabzonspor to their first Turkish league title in 38 years. Nwakaeme produced 13 goals and 10 assists in 30 league matches that season as the club finally ended decades of waiting for league glory.

He also lifted the Turkish Cup twice and added the Turkish Super Cup to complete a clean sweep of local honours.

The emotional bond between Nwakaeme and Trabzonspor supporters became so strong that fans even erected a bronze statue in his honour close to the club’s stadium, a rare tribute for a foreign footballer in Turkey.

Now, Trabzonspor want the Nigerian to remain at the club in a completely different role.

“We met and spoke with Nwakaeme. We want him to stay with us in our scouting efforts in Africa,” Doğan said as per 61Saat.

“He has incredible football knowledge and a strong character. I wanted him to stay with the team. The final decision is his. It’s up to the scouting team, not the technical staff. We’ve made our offer, and we’ll elaborate. We want him to be with us.”

Trabzonspor cult hero turns to club executive

According to reports, Nwakaeme has already rejected lucrative offers from clubs in the United Arab Emirates because he wants to remain in Trabzon.

Trabzonspor’s management reportedly believe his influence stretches far beyond the pitch. During his second spell at the club, injuries and age limited his playing time, but his experience made him a major dressing-room figure under coach Fatih Tekke. Younger players regularly leaned on him during difficult matches and pressure moments.

The proposed new role would see Nwakaeme become part of Trabzonspor’s scouting and technical structure, particularly focusing on African talent identification. He is also expected to act as a bridge between the players and the club’s hierarchy because of the huge respect he commands inside the dressing room.

It would complete a remarkable football story for a player whose rise to stardom took an unusual route.

Before arriving in Turkey in 2018, Nwakaeme spent years building his reputation in Romania and Israel. He first showed signs of his talent during loan spells with Romanian side Arieșul Turda before later impressing at Universitatea Cluj.

His real breakthrough came in Israel with Hapoel Ra’anana, where his power, dribbling and direct attacking style quickly made him one of Nigeria’s finest export to the country.

That form earned him a move to Hapoel Be’er Sheva in 2015, where he became one of the stars of a golden generation that won three straight Israeli league titles between 2016 and 2018. He scored 43 goals and added 24 assists during that period while also shining in the UEFA Europa League against top European opposition, including Inter Milan.

Despite his club success, Nwakaeme’s international career with Nigeria never truly took off.

He received his first Super Eagles call-up from coach Gernot Rohr in 2017 after his brilliant form in Israel. However, he ended up making only one appearance for Nigeria; a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Algeria in November 2017.