Salah hat-trick as Trabzonspor thrash Galatasaray 4-0
The Egyptian's first hat-trick in Turkey made history, with Nigeria's Nwaiwu and Onuachu on the winning side and Osimhen injured.
By SitesNG Sports Desk · · 2 min read
Mohamed Salah has taken Turkey by storm. On Saturday 19 September 2026 the Egyptian scored a hat-trick and set up another goal as Trabzonspor beat champions Galatasaray 4-0 at Papara Park, the first defeat of the season for the Istanbul club.
Salah scored after four minutes, assisted by Eskihellac, set up Noah Saviolo for the second, and struck again just before half-time from a pass by Guinea-Bissau's Franculino Dju. His third came in the 80th minute. It was the first hat-trick by a Trabzonspor player against Galatasaray.
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The Nigerian angle
Nigerian centre-back Chibuike Nwaiwu played all 90 minutes for Trabzonspor and made a key block on Leroy Sane, and Paul Onuachu came on in the 59th minute. For Galatasaray, Victor Osimhen missed the match with an adductor injury, while Lesley Ugochukwu, the French midfielder of Nigerian descent, came off the bench and was sent off late on.
“We want to dedicate this victory to them.”
Chibuike Nwaiwu, on the Trabzonspor fans
A record night
The hat-trick broke a club record for goal involvements against Galatasaray previously held by Anthony Nwakaeme, the Nigerian winger who starred for Trabzonspor. It was also the first game in charge for new coach Thomas Reis, and Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk was sent off in the second half. Salah's seven goals in six games leave him one short of Burak Yilmaz's club record for the opening six matches of a season.
“I'm very happy to be Salah's coach.”
Thomas Reis, Trabzonspor coach
The 4-0 win lifted Trabzonspor to 10 points from six games, three behind leaders Galatasaray. Follow Nwaiwu, Onuachu, Osimhen and every other Nigerian in the Turkish league on our Nigerians in Europe tracker.
Reporting by the SitesNG Sports Desk, based on reports from The National, Fox Sports, Goal, Soccernet.ng, Pulse Sports, Sky Sports. Published 19 September 2026 in the African Sports News weekly edition of 30 September 2026.
