Trabzonspor offers Nwakaeme a scouting job

Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan has announced that the club has offered retired Nigerian winger Anthony Nwakaeme a job in their scouting team. The focus will be on finding African talent.

This offer came just days after Nwakaeme ended his playing career at Trabzonspor. He played a key role in helping the team defeat Konyaspor 2-1 in the 2026 Turkish Cup final on Friday. The 37-year-old called this match his final mission.

"We met and spoke with Nwakaeme. We want him to stay with us in our scouting efforts in Africa," Dogan said. "He has incredible football knowledge and a strong character. I wanted him to stay with the team. The final decision is his. It’s up to the scouting team, not the technical staff. We’ve made our offer, and we’ll elaborate. We want him to be with us."

Nwakaeme leaves Trabzonspor as one of the most loved foreign players in the club’s history. During two periods at the club, from 2018 to 2022 and again from 2024 to 2026, he scored 50 goals in 193 matches. He won every major domestic title in Turkish football, including the Turkish league, the Turkish Cup twice, and the Turkish Super Cup. He is the highest-scoring Nigerian in Trabzonspor's history.

His best season was in 2021-22 when he scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists. This helped Trabzonspor win the Turkish league title after a 38-year wait. The connection between him and the fans grew so strong that they built a bronze statue in his honour near the stadium. This tribute is rare for foreign players in Turkey.

Reports say Nwakaeme has turned down big offers from clubs in the United Arab Emirates because he wants to stay in Trabzon. Club officials believe his impact goes beyond the field. He was a significant presence in the dressing room under coach Fatih Tekke. Younger players often looked to him for advice.

In this new role, Nwakaeme would act as a link between players and the club’s management. He would also help find new African talent.

Nwakaeme’s journey to Trabzonspor was not typical. He spent years building his career in Romania and Israel before making a name for himself at Hapoel Be’er Sheva. There, he won three straight Israeli league titles from 2016 to 2018, scoring 43 goals and making 24 assists. He also performed well in the UEFA Europa League against teams like Inter Milan.

Despite his success at club level, Nwakaeme’s international career did not take off. He got his first Super Eagles call-up from Gernot Rohr in 2017 but only played once for Nigeria. This was during a 1-1 World Cup qualifying match against Algeria in November of that year.