Super Eagles: Nwaiwu’s 8.5 masterclass for Trabzonspor proves Chelle made a mistake in Guinea-Bissau

Super Eagles defender Chibuike Nwaiwu registered a goal for Trabzonspor as they secured a commanding 3–0 victory over Samsunspor at the Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadyumu on Saturday.

​Fresh off the international break with Nigeria, the defender returned to the starting lineup for the Turkish side in their away clash against Samsunspor.

​Heading into the fixture, the hosts had failed to win any of their previous five matches, while Trabzonspor had managed two wins in that same span. Although the match was anticipated to be a tricky test for the visitors, Trabzonspor made light work of their opponents.

Trabzonspor team photo. Copyright: ImagoxSeskimphoto

​Ernest Muçi opened the scoring in the 28th minute, and just 11 minutes later, Nwaiwu doubled the lead. The 23-year-old pounced on a loose ball inside the six-yard box and fired a clinical strike into the top-right corner. Dju Franculino then added a third in the 40th minute to put the contest beyond reach.

​Despite Trabzonspor being reduced to ten men in the 43rd minute when Melih Kabasakal was sent off, they held their ground firmly to preserve the clean sheet.

​At the heart of that defensive resilience was Nwaiwu, who was in exceptional form throughout the afternoon. He tallied 15 defensive contributions, won five of his six duels, delivered one key pass, and logged 72 touches. He was arguably the best player on the pitch, earning an impressive 8.5 match rating on Sofascore.

Chibuike Nwaiwu and Mohamed Salah of Trabzonspor. Copyright: ImagoxSeskimphotox

Super Eagles: Nwaiwu Proves Chelle Wrong

​Nwaiwu was among the 24 players called up by Eric Chelle to the Super Eagles camp for Nigeria’s opening two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. However, he failed to play a single minute across both fixtures.

​The Trabzonspor star remained an unused substitute, with Chelle opting for Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi as his central defensive pairing. Against Guinea-Bissau, Ajayi looked distinctly shaky, yet Chelle kept him on for the entire 90 minutes as Nigeria ultimately conceded three goals.

Super Eagles and Trabzonspor defender Chibuike Nwaiwu. Copyright: ImagoxToyinxOshodix

​While Nigeria's defensive collapse stemmed largely from tactical and structural issues, fielding better players could have helped stem the tide — and Nwaiwu likely would have offered greater stability.

Also, despite complaints from Chelle and the squad regarding poor pitch conditions, Nwaiwu’s experience across different playing surfaces from his days in the Nigeria Premier Football League meant he was well-equipped to handle the terrain.

​His commanding display against Samsunspor proved that he is not only a dependable defender, but also a viable threat in the opponent's penalty area. Saturday’s strike was his first of the campaign, and on this evidence, it certainly won't be his last.