Nigerian forward David Okereke continued his fine scoring form in the Turkish Super Lig, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Gaziantep’s late collapse in Istanbul on Sunday afternoon.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring early but saw his team fall 2-1 to İstanbul Başakşehir in a match full of twists and late drama, Footballrover reports.

David Okereke delivers early spark for Gaziantep

David Okereke wasted no time in making his mark, putting Gaziantep ahead in the 9th minute at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium.

It was his eighth goal of the season, and despite recording the fewest touches (32) of any outfield player to complete 90 minutes, he remained his team’s most decisive player.

With three assists also to his name in 24 appearances, Okereke’s efficiency in front of goal remains a bright spot.

But just when Gaziantep seemed to be gaining control, the momentum shifted.

Yusuf Sari thought he had equalised for the home side, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

The breakthrough for Başakşehir eventually came three minutes before halftime when Krzysztof Piatek converted from the spot to level the scores.

Gaziantep’s late collapse seals their defeat

The visiting side completely collapsed moments before halftime. In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Ivan Brnic slotted home to give Başakşehir a 2-1 lead heading into the break.

Despite a numerical advantage late in the game after Piatek received a straight red card two minutes before regulation time, Gaziantep failed to capitalise.

Though they were also reduced to ten men shortly before stoppage time, as Kacper Kozlowski picked up two yellow cards in the space of one minute.

The hosts dug deep to protect their lead and held firm to claim all three points, handing David Okereke and his side their second loss in five games.

It was a frustrating outing for Gaziantep, who started strong but fell apart defensively, leaving David Okereke’s early effort unrewarded.

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Last Updated on April 22, 2025 9:45 am by Sir Kris