It was a mixed night for Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu, who went from hero to disappointment as Trabzonspor were held to a 1–1 draw by Antalyaspor away from home in their Turkish Super Lig round-20 clash on Friday evening.

The Nigerian international initially pulled his side back into the contest, earning a chance to complete the turnaround, but he squandered the opportunity from the penalty spot as Trabzonspor settled for a share of the spoils at the Corendon Airlines Park, Footballrover reports.

Paul Onuachu rescues Trabzonspor before late penalty heartbreak

Despite his efforts, the 31-year-old endured a difficult overall outing, finishing the match with just 21 touches — the fewest of any outfield player to complete the full 90 minutes.

Onuachu has been in scintillating form this season and also played a key role in helping the Super Eagles secure a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

However, on this occasion, he failed to deliver when it mattered most.

Trabzonspor had earlier found themselves on the back foot just before halftime when Van de Streek fired the hosts into the lead.

However, they were eventually rewarded with a penalty eight minutes after the restart, and Onuachu stepped up to calmly convert, restoring parity.

The goal was his 13th of the season in 17 appearances, to go with one assist. Joint Turkish Süper Lig top scorer.

It also meant the striker had now scored in back-to-back games, following his strike in the 2–1 victory over Kasimpasa in their previous outing.

Onuachu struggles for influence as drama unfolds late

Moments later, drama unfolded on the touchline as Antalyaspor head coach Sami Ugurlu was sent off after receiving two yellow cards, adding more tension to an already heated contest.

The tension did not end there. With just nine minutes left on the clock, the visitors were awarded another penalty—a golden chance to complete the comeback.

This time, however, Onuachu failed to deliver, missing from the spot and allowing Antalyaspor to escape.

It was Onuachu’s first missed penalty in the Süper Lig, snapping his streak of five consecutive successful spot-kicks.

Two minutes later, his compatriot Anthony Nwakaeme was introduced in place of Felipe Augusto, but he was unable to alter the outcome as both sides settled for a share of the spoils.

The miss proved expensive for Trabzonspor, denying them a chance to move into second place and narrow the gap on league leaders Galatasaray. They stay third with 42 points, four behind the leaders, while Antalyaspor remain 11th with 20 points.

Trabzonspor’s next match is against Fethiyespor in the Turkish Cup on Tuesday, while Antalyaspor travel to face Igdir FK in the same competition.

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Last Updated on January 30, 2026 11:31 pm by footballrover