Kocaelispor’s Tayfur Bingöl has boldly declared that he can outscore Victor Osimhen in the Turkish Super Lig this season, setting up an unexpected rivalry between one of football’s most lethal strikers and a defender-turned-forward, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 32-year-old Turkish player, who joined newly promoted Kocaelispor from Besiktas in the summer, has been in fine form since being redeployed as a forward by head coach Selçuk İnan.
Bingöl has netted four goals in ten appearances, one more than Osimhen’s three in nine, and is enjoying his best-ever scoring run in top-flight football.
“I am also competing with Osimhen for top scorer. I hope I can surpass Osimhen at the end of the season,” Bingöl told BeIN Sports after his side’s shock 1-0 victory over Galatasaray on Sunday.
The victory marked a significant milestone for Kocaelispor, who were crowned champions of the Turkish second division last season and are now making an impressive return to the top flight.
Defeating reigning champions Galatasaray, and silencing Osimhen in the process, was the perfect way to announce their ambitions.
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Osimhen’s mixed fortunes amid Galatasaray’s first league defeat
Victor Osimhen, last season’s top scorer with a record-breaking 26 league goals for Galatasaray, has started the new campaign in mixed form.
Now permanently signed from Napoli in the most expensive transfer in Turkish football history, the Nigerian has scored three times in nine league matches and an impressive six goals in three Champions League appearances, making him the competition’s leading scorer after matchday four.
His tally would have been four in the league but for a controversial VAR decision that ruled out his strike against Kocaelispor for offside, a moment that has since dominated post-match discussions.
The 1-0 defeat on Sunday was Galatasaray’s first league loss of the season and came just days after their emphatic 3-0 Champions League win over Ajax Amsterdam, where Osimhen netted a hat-trick. Despite the setback, Galatasaray remain top of the Super Lig table with 29 points, one ahead of arch-rivals Fenerbahçe.
While Bingöl relishes his early-season form, Osimhen remains the favourite to reclaim the golden boot, but the challenge from the Kocaelispor forward adds a refreshing twist to the title race.
Onuachu tops the chart as Nigerian forwards dominate
Bingöl may be enjoying his newfound fame, but another Nigerian forward currently leads the Super Lig scoring chart.
Paul Onuachu, who joined Trabzonspor permanently from Southampton in the summer, has scored eight goals in his first 12 games, tying for top spot with Uzbekistan international Eldor Shomurodov of Basaksehir.
Onuachu’s latest goal came in Trabzonspor’s 1-1 draw with Alanyaspor on Saturday, adding to his strikes against Rizespor, Kayserispor, Karagümrük, Gaziantep FK, Samsunspor, and Kocaelispor.
