Onuachu Leads Nigerian Scorers in Europe, Tops Turkish League with Seven Goals

While many Nigerian strikers are still struggling to find form in Europe this season, Paul Onuachu has been in red-hot scoring touch for Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig.

The 31-year-old forward currently sits atop the Nigerian scorers’ chart in Europe with seven goals, closely followed by Victor Osimhen, who has six goals for Galatasaray across all competitions.

Onuachu’s form has also made him the leading scorer in the Turkish topflight after 10 matches, edging out Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce), and Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray), who all have six goals each.

His brilliance hasn’t gone unnoticed — Onuachu has already won the Super Lig Goal of the Month award twice this season (August and September). He received his latest accolade before Trabzonspor’s 2–0 victory over Eyüpspor last weekend. His spectacular acrobatic strike against Fatih Karagümrük on match-day seven was voted the best goal for September and is now a strong contender for the Goal of the Season.

Before his scoring streak was halted against Eyüpspor, Onuachu had netted five goals and provided one assist in four consecutive league games. He opened the campaign with goals against Kocaelispor and Samsunspor in August, setting the tone for a prolific run.

In comparison, Osimhen has three goals in the Turkish Super Lig and three in the UEFA Champions League, but his season has been hampered by transfer uncertainties and injuries. Other Nigerian forwards like Tolu Arokodare (Wolves) and Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) are still working to regain form, with just one goal each so far.

For Onuachu, life in Turkey appears to be the perfect revival. After a difficult spell in England with Southampton — where he scored only four goals in 25 appearances — he returned to Trabzonspor permanently this summer following a successful loan spell in 2023/24, during which he recorded 15 goals and four assists in 21 league games.

Since beginning his professional career over a decade ago, the towering striker has amassed an impressive 193 goals and 27 assists in 389 appearances across Denmark, Belgium, England, and Turkey.

Onuachu last claimed a major individual honour in 2021, when he won the Belgian Golden Shoe for his 33-goal season with Genk. With his current form, the Nigerian may be on course for another prestigious award — this time in Turkey.