Nigerian duo Ibrahim Olawoyin and David Akintola played pivotal roles as Çaykur Rizespor sealed their Turkish Super Lig status in stunning fashion, beating Göztepe 6-3 in a dramatic nine-goal thriller on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Playing at the Çaykur Didi Stadium, Rizespor produced one of the most entertaining matches of the season to confirm safety with two games to spare.
The hosts stormed into an early lead through Casper Højer, but Göztepe quickly equalised via Romulo.
Olawoyin restored Rizespor’s advantage midway through the first half with a smartly taken low strike from the edge of the box after Gambian forward Ali Sowe teed him up with a deft touch from Taha Sahin’s cross.
The goal took the sting out of Göztepe’s early momentum and set the tone for a pulsating second half.
Incredible performance by .@brymzy10 A Brilliant Assist ️ & Goal ⚽️ in today’s match. Absolutely fantastic pic.twitter.com/1WOBBwHhQt
— IBRAHIM OLAWOYIN OFFICIAL FAN PAGE (@fanofbrymzy) May 18, 2025
The game reached fever pitch late on, with Akintola and Olawoyin once again at the heart of the action.
In the 85th minute, Kosovo international Altin Zeqiri lifted a precise ball over the defence for Akintola, who kept his cool to fire in his second goal of the campaign from close range.
Just two minutes later, Olawoyin turned provider with a perfectly weighted long pass that found Zeqiri in full stride.
The striker rounded off the scoring with Rizespor’s sixth and his second of the game, sealing a memorable win and ensuring the club’s Super Lig status for another season under head coach Ilhan Palut.
WATCH: Olawoyin and Akintola hit target as Rizespor edge 9-Goal thriller to secure Super Lig safety
Rizespor now sit seven points clear of the drop zone with two matches remaining, mathematically safe from relegation.
Olawoyin’s contribution this season has been significant. His goal against Göztepe took his tally to five in 30 league appearances, making him the third-highest scoring Nigerian in the Turkish top flight this term behind Victor Osimhen (25 goals) and David Okereke (eight).
The 27-year-old playmaker, who scored a career-best eight goals last season, continues to impress in his second year in the Super Lig. Meanwhile, Akintola’s growing influence could be crucial for Rizespor’s ambitions beyond survival.
With their league status secured, attention now turns to finishing the campaign strongly — and building for the future with two in-form Nigerians leading the charge.
