At the Konya Buyuksehir Belediye Stadium on Wednesday night, Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi scored his first goal for Besiktas, assisting the Turkish powerhouses in defeating Konyaspor 2-0 in their Super Lig match.
According to reports, Wilfred Ndidi was just appointed vice-captain of the team. A few days later, the Nigerian international led the way in midfield with skipper Orkun Kökcü, putting on a dominant display.
In the 32nd minute, their collaboration paid off when Kökcü set up Ndidi, who composedly headed the ball into the goal for his first goal since joining the team.
Besiktas maintained their narrow lead at halftime by remaining organized and disciplined at the back despite Konyaspor’s threats to battle back and increased possession of the ball.
After the interval, the hosts kept up their pressure but were unable to overcome the visitors’ strong defense.
Halfway through the second half, Besiktas extended their lead after Tammy Abraham corrected a mistake made by goalkeeper Derniz Ertas.
The goalkeeper was dispossessed by the striker, who then scored an empty goal to complete the victory. Late in the game, Abraham believed he had added another, but VAR disallowed the attempt for offside.
With 16 points from the win, Besiktas moves up to sixth place in the Super Lig standings, while Konyaspor falls to ninth with 11 points.
For coach Sergen Yalcin, whose squad had been under pressure following a 2-1 home loss to Genclerbirligi the weekend before, it was the ideal reaction.
With seven points from their last three away games, the victory snaps a two-game losing streak and demonstrates the team’s increasing road confidence.
Konyaspor wants to reassemble for their trip to Genclerbirligi, while Besiktas will try to capitalize on their momentum when they face Kasimpasa on Sunday.
