Paul Onuachu has emerged joint winner of the Turkish Süper Lig Golden Boot after an impressive campaign with Trabzonspor, finishing ahead of fellow Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in one of the closest title races of the season.
The towering Super Eagles forward ended the 2025/2026 league campaign with 22 goals, sharing the top scorer award with Eldor Shomurodov of İstanbul Başakşehir.
Onuachu’s achievement marks one of the biggest individual successes of his European career and further strengthens his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most consistent goalscorers abroad.
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The Nigeria Football Federation celebrated the striker’s achievement on Monday, praising his consistency and influence throughout the campaign.
“Paul Onuachu was a force to reckon with, scoring 22 goals in the Süper Lig this season,” the federation wrote on X.
The former Genk striker maintained strong form across the closing weeks of the season, scoring crucial goals that helped Trabzonspor remain competitive in the upper half of the table.
Shomurodov matched Onuachu’s tally after a prolific run with İstanbul Başakşehir, ensuring the Golden Boot race went down to the final stretch of the campaign.
Anderson Talisca of Fenerbahçe finished third in the scoring standings with 19 goals, while Osimhen ended the season outside the top three despite arriving in Turkey as one of the league’s biggest-profile signings.
The Galatasaray striker scored 15 league goals and produced several decisive performances during the season, though injuries and rotation reportedly affected parts of his campaign.
Former Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi also remained among the league’s leading scorers after finishing with 14 goals for Galatasaray.
Onuachu’s triumph has generated excitement among Nigerian football supporters, many of whom believe the striker is rediscovering the form that made him one of Europe’s deadliest forwards during his spell in Belgium.
The 31-year-old enjoyed a difficult period in the English Premier League following his move to Southampton, but his return to Turkey revived his scoring instincts and restored his confidence at club level.
Football analysts say the Golden Boot success could significantly improve his market value ahead of the summer transfer window, especially with several European clubs reportedly monitoring his performances.
The achievement also adds another chapter to Nigeria’s growing influence in Turkish football, where several Super Eagles stars have enjoyed successful careers over the years.
Osimhen’s presence at Galatasaray further increased Nigerian attention on the Turkish league this season, turning the Golden Boot race into a closely followed battle among fans back home.
Despite missing out on the top scorer award, Osimhen remains one of the most valuable African forwards in Europe and is still expected to attract major transfer interest ahead of next season.
For Onuachu, however, the spotlight now firmly belongs to him after ending the campaign as the Süper Lig’s most prolific marksman alongside Shomurodov.
