Former Heartland Defender Nwaiwu Joins Salah’s Celebration as Trabzonspor Star Nets First Goals
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By Jeff Onuegbu
Former Heartland FC defender Chibuike Nwaiwu was among the Trabzonspor players who celebrated with Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian forward scored his first goals for the Turkish club in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir.
Salah marked his first start for Trabzonspor in spectacular fashion, scoring twice to lead the club to victory in their Turkish Süper Lig encounter. The match was played on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with the former Liverpool star quickly making his presence felt at Papara Park.
The result gave Salah his first league goals for Trabzonspor following his arrival at the Turkish club earlier this month. He had made his debut in the opening league fixture against Kasımpaşa, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw without finding the net.
Salah opened the scoring after just eight minutes against Başakşehir, before restoring Trabzonspor’s advantage three minutes into the second half with a trademark finish.
His second goal came after he cut inside from the right, exchanged passes with Ernest Muçi and found the far corner of the net. The goal ultimately proved decisive as Trabzonspor held on for a 2-1 victory.
Nwaiwu was also involved in the match and featured in the defensive line for Trabzonspor. The Nigerian defender, who wears number 27, has established himself as an important member of the Turkish club since joining from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC in January 2026.
However, the 23-year-old defender was involved in the incident that allowed Başakşehir to equalise. A handball by Nwaiwu resulted in a penalty, which former Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov converted to make the score 1-1. Salah later restored Trabzonspor’s lead with his second goal.
Despite the setback, Nwaiwu finished the match as part of the Trabzonspor side that secured all three points, while his celebration with Salah after the Egyptian’s opening goal attracted attention among Nigerian football supporters.
Nwaiwu’s career has developed rapidly since he began playing senior football in Nigeria. He started with Heartland FC before moving to Enyimba, where he won the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League title. He subsequently moved to Wolfsberger AC in Austria in 2024 and helped the club win its first Austrian Cup in the 2024/25 season.
He joined Trabzonspor in January 2026 and signed a contract running until June 2030. The move represented another significant step in the career of the Nigerian defender, who has also attracted interest from several English Premier League clubs in recent months.
The arrival of Salah at Trabzonspor has also created a notable Nigerian-Egyptian connection at the club, with Nwaiwu and fellow Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu now sharing the dressing room with the former Liverpool star. Reports have indicated that Salah’s arrival has strengthened Trabzonspor’s desire to retain Nwaiwu despite interest from clubs in England.
The victory over Başakşehir was particularly important for Trabzonspor after their midweek 1-0 defeat to Ferencváros in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff tie. Nwaiwu started that encounter but was sent off, while Salah was unable to score as the Turkish side suffered the narrow defeat.
Sunday’s victory therefore provided a welcome response, with Salah emerging as the decisive figure and Nwaiwu playing his part in a winning performance.
