ISTANBUL, Turkey — Di 63rd edition of di Turkish Cup go happen on Wednesday as last year winners Galatasaray dey ready to battle dem rivals Trabzonspor for Gaziantep Stadium. Dis final go see Galatasaray, wey be last season’s Süper Lig champions, face Trabzonspor wey don dey seek di trophy since dem last win am in 2020.
As dem come into dis tournament, Galatasaray skip di early group stage after dem finish as top of di league. Dem start di competition for Group C alongside Başakşehir, Boluspor, and Konyaspor. Despite drawing 2-2 against Başakşehir, dem bounce back with a strong 4-1 victory over Boluspor before settling for goalless draw against Konyaspor. With five points, dem tie with Başakşehir on point and goals, but dem progress to di knockout stage due to dem fair play record of fewer yellow cards.
For di knockout stage, Galatasaray face tough matches, starting with a difficult quarterfinal against archrivals Fenerbahçe. Di Lions manage win 2-1 thanks to di sharp finishing from Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. For di semifinal, dem dismantle Konyaspor 5-1, making up for di earlier draw wey pain dem. Overall, dem score 13 goals while conceding only five, with Osimhen leading di goal charts with three goals in three matches.
Di head coach Okan Buruk use dis tournament to give chances to some young players, as goalkeeper Günay Güvenç don dey between di posts for all di matches. Fringe players like Berkan Kutlu, Metehan Baltacı, Elias Jelert, and Kerem Demirbay don also gain enough time to play for di squad.
On di other hand, Trabzonspor dey come into di final for di 17th time, looking for dia 10th title. Di Black Sea side don experience mixed fortunes over di years, with triumphs during dia golden era in di late 1970s and a recent title in 2019-20. Dem want to turn di heartbreak of last season’s final, when dem lose 3-2 to Beşiktaş, into motivation to take home di cup dis time.
Galatasaray na di most successful club for dis tournament, holding di record with 18 trophy wins out of 23 finals. Dem start di competition well, claiming four straight titles from 1962 to 1966. Their victories span many years, with last titles won in 2019.
Di Turkish Cup, wey Turkish Football Federation start for 1962-63, don serve as a platform for glory and drama in di world of Turkish football. Although it was briefly called di Federation Cup from 1980 to 1992, it has since returned to its original name.
Apart from Galatasaray, other clubs wey don win di cup include Beşiktaş (11 titles), Trabzonspor (9 titles), and Fenerbahçe (7 titles), while clubs like Altay, Ankaragücü, Göztepe, Gençlerbirliği, and Kocaelispor don also record two titles each.
As di final dey approach, excitement dey build not just for di teams but for di fans wey eagerly await for dis big match wey promise to deliver tension and excitement.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
