Sports
Turkish football’s love for ‘African’ brilliance could finally pay off
When I came to Türkiye, I was already a football enthusiast. I had followed leagues, players and tournaments across continents, but nothing quite prepared me for how deeply the game lives here, not just in stadiums, but in the streets.
In my early days, walking through Kadıköy or crossing Taksim, I would hear voices behind me: “Okocha!” “Uche!” “Demba Ba!” “Aboubakar!” The first few times, I froze. I didn’t know how to take it. Was this a mockery of my skin color? Stereotyping? Something hostile?
Only later did the meaning settle in. These weren’t insults. They were references to heroes.
In Turkish football culture, African names are a language of admiration, shorthand for flair, strength, resilience and honesty in the game. Being called “Osimhen” isn’t about where you’re from. It’s about what you represent.
As one passionate Turkish fan pointed out, “If you sweat for the jersey, then you are one of us.”
That realization unlocked something bigger for me: Türkiye’s love affair with African football has always been loud, emotional and deeply misunderstood from the outside.
What once sounded like an obsession now looks increasingly like a strategy.
And as the UEFA Europa League final approaches on May 20, 2026, in Istanbul, that long-running relationship stands on the brink of its greatest validation yet.
A night that could redefine perception
If Fenerbahçe take the field at Tüpraş Stadium that night and deliver on their promise, the image is already easy to imagine.
Imagine a stadium glowing above the Bosporus, flares cutting through the night sky and who else but N’Golo Kante at the center of it all, calm, tireless, authoritative.
Some will point out that Kante is French.
That’s true. His heritage is Malian, too and football history has always made room for both.
Kante’s February 2026 move from Al-Ittihad was not just another high-profile signing. It was a statement. At 34, the World Cup winner did not return to Europe for nostalgia or comfort, but for competition.
His arrival signaled that Turkish clubs are no longer content to borrow relevance. They want to create it.
Kante has brought structure to Fenerbahçe’s midfield, and most certainly, he will sharpen their European edge and reinforce the belief that this team is built for more than domestic dominance.
If silverware follows, it will not be an accident. It will be the product of a philosophy that has matured quietly but relentlessly.
The pioneers who changed everything
African influence in Turkish football did not begin with inflated transfer fees or social media hype. It began with trust.
Jay-Jay Okocha’s arrival at Fenerbahçe in the late 1990s altered expectations overnight.
His joy, confidence and creativity reshaped how Turkish fans understood African football artistry.
Stephen Appiah followed with authority and leadership, anchoring Fenerbahçe’s centenary title run.
Uche Okechukwu provided defensive excellence over nearly a decade, becoming a benchmark for professionalism.
Back in 1994, my fellow Zimbabwean Norman Mapeza had donned the Galatasaray colors before taking Southern African brilliance across six more Turkish clubs.
Later generations carried the torch.
Didier Drogba brought Champions League pedigree to the Lions.
Samuel Eto’o proved that global icons could still dominate in Türkiye. Vincent Aboubakar’s goals delivered titles and moments that still echo through Beşiktaş’s stands.
These players were never short-term solutions. They became cultural reference points, names shouted in admiration long after their final matches.
Reputation to recruitment strategy
By 2026, the Süper Lig is no longer framed as a “retirement league.” It has evolved into a competitive market where African and African-linked players arrive in their prime or with clear ambition.
Victor Osimhen’s permanent move to Galatasaray for a record fee marked a turning point.
This was not recovery football. It was elite performance.
Around him, the league has filled with substance: Youssef En-Nesyri’s physical dominance at Fenerbahçe, Andre Onana’s authority at Trabzonspor, Wilfried Singo’s defensive value at Galatasaray and emerging talents like Dorgeles Nene using Türkiye as a launchpad rather than a fallback.
At AFCON 2025, more than 20 players from Süper Lig clubs represented their nations, a quiet but powerful indicator of how the league now functions as a serious international platform.
Why the bond works
The connection between Turkish football and African players is rooted in more than recruitment.
The Süper Lig is physical, emotional and unforgiving. Pressure is constant. Expectation is relentless. For many African players raised in environments where football is communal, intense and identity-defining, the transition feels natural.
Add modern stadiums, improving infrastructure, European visibility and financial clarity and Türkiye offers something few leagues can: a bridge between elite competition and emotional belonging.
Kante as the symbol of a finished idea
Born in Paris to Malian parents and shaped by a modest upbringing, Kante arrives to embody what Turkish football has long been striving to achieve.
He represents humility over hype, work rate over spectacle, impact over image, values Turkish fans have always prized.
Whether or not the Europa League trophy is lifted in May, his presence already confirms something important: Türkiye can attract players who still define the highest levels of the game.
But if that night in Istanbul ends with silverware, the conclusion will be unavoidable.
Turkish football’s embrace of African excellence was never a coincidence.
It was patience.
And now, it stands one match away from proof.
Türkiye suffered their fourth consecutive UEFA Nations League defeat Monday as Italy claimed a 3-1 victory in Bologna, leaving the Crescent-Stars rooted to the bottom of Group 1 without a point.
Goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Riccardo Calafiori and Pio Esposito secured the victory for Italy at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium, while Aral Şimşir scored Türkiye’s lone goal.
Italy started brightly, with Scamacca firing narrowly wide in the 11th minute, but Türkiye soon began creating chances of their own.
Irfan Can Kahveci threatened after breaking onto a through ball before losing control, while Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to deny Ozan Kabak and Salih Özcan.
Italy broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when Antonio Vergara’s deflected cross fell to Scamacca, who fired in off the underside of the crossbar.
Türkiye continued to push and were rewarded in the 61st minute. A deflection off Eren Elmalı sent the ball into the path of Şimşir, who converted from close range to level the score.
The hosts responded almost immediately.
Nicolo Barella’s free kick found Calafiori, whose header beat Uğurcan Çakır in the 65th minute to restore Italy’s advantage.
Türkiye came close to another equalizer in the 77th minute when Yunus Akgün picked out Özcan, but Donnarumma produced a strong save to preserve Italy’s lead.
Esposito then put the result beyond doubt late on, converting from inside the penalty area to make it 3-1.
The victory continued Italy’s improved run under returning coach Roberto Mancini and strengthened their bid for a Nations League quarterfinal place.
Türkiye, meanwhile, remain without a point after four matches and sit bottom of the group following their fourth straight defeat.
Italy moved to seven points in second place after recording their second victory in three matches.
Türkiye will host Belgium on Nov. 12, while Italy welcome France on the same day.
Lionel Messi will play his final match for Argentina Tuesday in a farewell friendly against Benin, marking the end of his international career for the South American champions.
After more than two decades of service to his country, the 39-year-old superstar will hand over the captain’s armband for good as he makes his final appearance in the Albiceleste jersey at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Messi will be joined for his international swansong by 85,000 spectators and several of the teammates with whom he reached the pinnacle of football at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, alongside members of Argentina’s emerging generation.
The friendly marks a symbolic passing of the torch for a player whose international legacy includes a World Cup title, two Copa America crowns and the Finalissima.
Messi also bows out as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 games, as well as a record 68 assists.
His farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina’s ill-tempered World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey, where Messi exited in tears after making little impression.
“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote when announcing his international retirement in August.
Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, although following the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he revealed he may hang up his boots for good sooner than anticipated.
Friends reunited
Members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad – the players who delivered the country’s third star – and their families will join Messi for Tuesday’s farewell against Benin, ranked 93rd in the world.
Veterans of that Doha triumph such as Angel Di Maria, who retired from international football in 2024, will be there to witness the passing of the torch to a new generation charged with extending the Albiceleste’s golden era.
Several of the newcomers, including Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, were not even born when “La Pulga” (“The Flea”) made his Argentina debut in 2005 for a team whose history had for so long been dominated by Diego Maradona.
“It’s going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it’s just about enjoying it,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
Argentina’s new generation has already shown what it can do without its captain, although nobody is pretending replacing a man regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history will be straightforward.
“Collectively, we will try to fill the void left by Leo,” said Scaloni, who is negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future unresolved following the World Cup defeat in July.
Scaloni, who mastered the art of building the right supporting cast around Messi, will also say goodbye on Tuesday to 38-year-old vice-captain Nicolas Otamendi.
Like Messi and Otamendi, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up solely for the Benin game, raising the possibility that neither will represent Argentina again.
New generation
Those certain to be involved, at least from the bench, include other veterans of the 2022 World Cup who will be the standard-bearers for Argentina after Messi: defender Cristian Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Tenacious center-back Romero is set to inherit the captain’s armband, first worn by Messi at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez are next in the captaincy hierarchy.
They have already begun to rally around Messi’s heirs, who showed their appetite for success in Argentina’s first game since the World Cup final, against Bolivia in Cordoba Wednesday.
Argentina swept the Bolivians aside 4-0, with young talents Nico Paz and Jose Manuel Lopez among the scorers.
They followed that victory with a 7-0 rout of Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday, with Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni scoring their first international goals.
While Argentina’s future is beginning to take shape, one small but symbolically significant question remains: who inherits Messi’s No. 10 shirt?
“We won’t give the No. 10 to anyone until Leo’s match takes place,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”
Carlos Alcaraz overcame serving struggles to defeat fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 Monday, reaching the Japan Open final as he seeks his first singles title since returning from a wrist injury.
He will face Czech Jiri Lehecka in Tuesday’s final.
Defending champion Alcaraz completed the career Grand Slam by capturing the Australian Open title in February but suffered the injury two months later and only came back at the U.S. Open, where a quarterfinal run hinted at a swift return to form.
The 23-year-old, who moved through the gears during Team Europe’s triumphant Laver Cup campaign last month, looked comfortable against qualifier Munar in Tokyo at 5-4 before gifting him the opening set with two shaky service games.
“I don’t know what happened in the first set,” said top seed Alcaraz, who dropped 16 consecutive points at the end of it.
“I started the match well, got a break and was serving for the set, but I don’t know what happened. It seems like I’m struggling every first set.
“But the way that I come back every time, I think I’m just really happy about it. Jaume’s a pretty tough player and these conditions suit him pretty well. I just tried to stay there as much as I could.
“I made a couple of breaks that helped a lot to get a bit of confidence, then I started to play more aggressively.”
After a sluggish start to the second set, Alcaraz raised his level to force a decider and the seven-times major champion wore world number 49 Munar down with stunning shot-making to book a title clash with Lehecka Tuesday.
Lehecka beat eighth seed Valentin Vacherot 6-4 6-2 to make the final and stay on course for his first trophy of the season.
Portugal became the first team to reach the Nations League quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Norway Sunday, while Jürgen Klopp’s Germany was held to a draw by Greece.
The Portuguese showed they did not need Cristiano Ronaldo, who walked out of the camp Wednesday when coach Jorge Jesus relegated him to the bench.
Goncalo Ramos secured victory in the 86th minute after Joao Cancelo’s powerful finish had leveled Kristoffer Ajer’s stunning opener from outside the penalty area for World Cup quarterfinalists Norway.
After the game, Jesus said he was prepared to allow 41-year-old Ronaldo to return to the national team – but that it would have to be the player’s decision.
“If he wants to, he’ll return to the national team … we can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who’s going to decide,” Jesus told reporters.
Klopp’s Germany failed to break down a resolute Greek side in a goalless stalemate in Thessaloniki.
Germany had the ball in the net through Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jonathan Burkardt in the first half but his effort was disallowed.
Klopp’s record as new German boss now reads: lost one, won one, drawn one.
The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s winner to move top of their Nations League group.
The Manchester United forward was a second-half substitute in Eindhoven and applied the decisive touch with a tap-in from Tijjani Reijnders’ cross.
The match also marked Virgil van Dijk’s 100th international appearance.
New Netherlands coach Xavi is unbeaten after four games, with two wins and two draws.
Israel’s players wore black armbands in their 1-1 draw against Ireland to commemorate Oct. 7, after Irish players had worn them in the previous match in Hungary to protest the genocidal war on Gaza.
The simple black armbands worn by the Israelis were inscribed with the numbers “7.10” to mark the date of the attack.
Just as in last week’s first match which Ireland won 3-0, the Irish players again bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem and the teams refused to shake hands before the match in the small Serbian town of Backa Topola.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) had refused to host Israel on Irish soil for security reasons, following boycott calls.
On Sunday, Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead from the penalty spot after 39 minutes after Dor Peretz fouled Jimmy Dunne.
But Peretz stabbed in an equalizer two minutes after half time, sending in from close range after a shot deflected off Ireland defender Liam Scales and into his path.
The result complicates Ireland’s qualification task as they now lie third in Group 3 of League B behind Austria and Kosovo. Israel are bottom with two points.
Wales lost again, as Rasmus Hojlund slotted in a 75th minute penalty to earn Denmark a 1-0 win in Cardiff.
Welsh goalkeeper Danny Ward had kept the Danes at bay with a string of saves but he conceded the penalty when he fouled Denmark midfielder Gustav Isaksen.
Whether navigating turbulent ocean currents or analyzing the intricacies of global power grids, Turkish engineer and open-water swimmer Nazife İdil Özkol relies on a unified philosophy: read the data accurately, adapt to changing conditions and persevere.
Özkol’s dual career path recently gained international recognition when she received the “Future Leader” award at the Talented Woman in Modern Industry 2026 awards in Russia.
Her athletic pursuits matched her professional achievements as she earned a third-place podium finish at the X-Waters open-water swimming race in Moscow.
Educated in electrical engineering and energy at Technical University of Sofia and Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Özkol focuses on the intersection of energy economics, artificial intelligence and infrastructure.
“Engineering taught me how to think and sports taught me how to apply that thinking under uncertainty and pressure,” Özkol said.
“Engineering taught me how to build a system, and sports taught me how to adapt when the system doesn’t work as expected,” she added.
Özkol’s journey in athletics began in her youth after a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prompted her to channel her energy into structured discipline.
Moving from modern pentathlon and biathlon into open-water swimming, she competed in major domestic events, including the Iznik and Bosporus races.
“In the pool, everything is controlled,” Özkol said. “In open water, waves, currents, temperature, and wind change. You continuously read the environment and re-evaluate your direction and pace.”
That analytical approach proved decisive during the X-Waters competition in Moscow, where Özkol represented Türkiye among competitors from around 12 countries in what organizers dubbed a world championship event.
“When I finished the race, I didn’t even know I had finished third,” Özkol said. “Long-distance racing is primarily a mental battle. Reaching the podium in an international event as a Turkish female athlete was a source of great pride.”
Beyond athletics, Özkol’s professional research concentrates on industrial energy efficiency and the dual nature of emerging digital infrastructure.
She noted that while artificial intelligence offers optimization and grid management solutions, its operation generates substantial energy demand.
Looking ahead, Özkol anticipates a fundamental shift in global energy dynamics over the next two decades toward real-time data analysis, smart grids and demand-side management.
“The question of the future will not be ‘How much energy do we produce?’ but ‘How smartly can we manage the energy we produce and consume?'” Özkol said.
Özkol also emphasized the necessity of systemic equity for women across science, technology, engineering and sports, arguing that institutional backing must precede athletic or professional milestones.
“Support for women should not be given after success, but right at the beginning,” she said.
“Training, financial support, sponsorship and visibility are not favors; they are conditions for equality. The presence of women in science, engineering and sports is not an ‘inspirational story,’ but a matter of rights,” said Özkol.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s international future with Portugal has been thrown into doubt after the veteran forward left the team’s training camp after learning he would not start against Denmark for a second straight Nations League match.
The 41-year-old announced his departure late Wednesday, shortly after coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that Gonçalo Ramos would again lead the attack.
Ronaldo had been expected to train with his teammates at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium ahead of Thursday’s match but instead left the camp following a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença.
“Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.
Portugal went on to beat Denmark 4-2 without its captain, producing an emphatic attacking display that added another layer to the growing debate over Ronaldo’s role with the national team.
Ronaldo had remained on the bench for the entirety of Portugal’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway on Sunday. It was the first time since November 2024 that he had failed to appear for Portugal without being injured or suspended.
Jesus, who coached Ronaldo at Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr for a year before taking charge of Portugal in July, had insisted there was no serious disagreement between them. He acknowledged, however, that Ronaldo was unhappy after being left out against Norway.
“There was no incident whatsoever,” Jesus said after the Norway match.
The coach later explained that Ronaldo had warmed up for 20 to 30 minutes but was ultimately not brought onto the field.
“Any player, and I was a player myself, when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don’t get on, no one is happy about that,” Jesus said.
Jesus said he had informed Ronaldo before the Norway match that he could be used as a substitute but ultimately decided against making the change.
“Afterwards, as coach, I decided not to bring him on. It’s nothing to make a fuss about,” Jesus said.
The situation escalated after Jesus confirmed Wednesday that Ramos would start again against Denmark.
“If I need him, he’ll come on. If I don’t need him, he won’t,” Jesus said of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s decision to leave the camp suggested that his frustration went beyond a single omission from the starting lineup. The Portugal captain also hinted that he could eventually reveal more about what prompted his departure.
“In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated,” Ronaldo wrote.
“Now is time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception.”
Spanish sports newspaper Marca reported that Jesus and Proença followed Ronaldo to Copenhagen airport in an attempt to persuade him to remain with the squad before the forward boarded his private jet.
The episode also prompted an angry response from Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro, who criticized the Portuguese public in a post on Instagram.
“They don’t deserve to have the best of anything,” she wrote, adding that Portugal had become “envious, scornful, and ignorant” and deserved to return to the period before Ronaldo’s emergence.
The dispute has also spilled into the streets of Lisbon.
A Portugal fan sponsored a large billboard outside the Portuguese Football Federation headquarters expressing support for Ronaldo while criticizing Jesus. The artificial intelligence-generated billboard featured images of Ronaldo and the coach.
“Thank you, Cristiano Ronaldo, for all you have done for Portugal. You’re forever our captain,” the message next to Ronaldo read.
The section aimed at Jesus said the coach “wasn’t up to the task” and accused him of having an “inflated ego.” The billboard was quickly removed.
Fernando Maia, the fan who paid for the display, said he had no personal connection to Ronaldo or his representatives. Maia owns a billboard company and said his decision was motivated by gratitude for what Ronaldo has contributed to Portuguese football.
“I don’t know Ronaldo, I don’t know anyone on Ronaldo’s entourage,” Maia said in comments reported by Portuguese media. “I know myself, and I know something called gratitude.”
Maia also suggested that the dispute involved more than Jesus.
“Jorge Jesus was just the means for this to have happened, but there are more culprits,” he said.
He said he planned to display the same billboard outside the Estádio do Dragão when Portugal play their next Nations League match.
Jesus, meanwhile, sought to shift attention back to Portugal’s performance after the 4-2 victory over Denmark, stressing that the team’s result mattered more than the controversy surrounding its captain.
“This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard,” Jesus said. “Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened.”
But he also made clear that Ronaldo’s reputation would not exempt him from selection decisions.
“There are players with status. That much is crystal clear,” Jesus said. “But I’ll say it again: The rules are the same for everyone.”
The comments underline the difficult balance facing Jesus as he manages a player who has been central to Portugal’s identity for more than two decades.
Ronaldo recently indicated that this could be his final year in professional football. He is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, with 146 goals in 234 international appearances.
His international career began in 2003, when he made his debut at 18. He subsequently played in the Euro 2004 final on home soil, reached the 2006 World Cup semifinals and captained Portugal to its first major international title at Euro 2016.
He has also represented Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus at club level while establishing himself as one of the most prolific scorers in football history.
Now, with Ronaldo approaching the end of his career, his relationship with Portugal has entered an uncertain chapter.
His decision to leave the training camp, followed by his promise to eventually explain his reasons, has raised questions over whether Thursday’s absence was simply a protest over his role or the beginning of a much larger break with the national team.
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