Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah made his Trabzonspor debut in a 1-1 draw against Kasımpaşa in the opening round of the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday.
Salah, the former Liverpool icon who joined Trabzonspor in a much hyped up transfer, started on the bench with the score tied at one, nine days after he officially signed for the Turkish club following his departure from Liverpool.
Trabzonspor took the lead two minutes before halftime when Portuguese winger Noah Saviolo, another summer signing, struck from inside the area.
Adrian Benedyczak equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 55th minute.
Trabzonspor head coach Fatih Tekke introduced Salah in the 58th minute, replacing Metehan Mimaroğlu. Salah received a warm welcome from Trabzonspor supporters at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium, home of Kasımpaşa.
In his 32 minutes on the pitch the Egypt captain helped create a number of openings for the visitors and could have scored as he played primarily on the right side.
The 34-year-old delivered a tantalising cross into the penalty area in the 69th minute which teammates failed to convert.
Eight minutes later, Salah sent an angled shot narrowly wide.
Salah looked sharp given his lack of match fitness. He had not played a minute of football for over five weeks, since Egypt’s devastating 3-2 Round of 16 loss to beaten finalists Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.
While Salah did not make any public statements or post-match comments following the Kasımpaşa game, his coach Tekke had plenty to say.
“It’s a sad start today,” he said.
“It was a game we had to be victorious in, but we couldn’t succeed.
“We did not start the match well, but in the first half we were better than we had planned,” he added. “The mistake that happened is unacceptable, and we have to avoid it.”
Trabzonspor is next hosting Hungarian outfit Ferencváros in the first leg of their Europa League play-off on 20 August. If selected, Salah could make both his home and European debut for the club.
The Turkish side then face İstanbul Başakşehir in the Super Lig before travelling to Hungary for the second leg against Ferencváros.
“Thursday is really important; we play a match in Europe, and the opponent is far better than us,” Tekke added. He said the team must regroup quickly and raise their level significantly.
“This is not about Trabzonspor’s current season, but about the future of the team, especially the next five weeks and the next five matches.”
Trabzonspor, seven-time Turkish champions, finished third in the Super Lig last season, eight points behind the champions Galatasaray, and won the Turkish Cup.
Nicknamed the Black Sea Storm, Trabzonspor’s six league titles came between 1976 and 1984. They are one of only six teams to have won the Super Lig.
In 2022, they claimed their most recent league success, ending a 38-year wait.
The Turkish club agreed a two-year contract with Salah, keeping him at Papara Park until June 2028.
Trabzonspor’s official financial disclosure guarantees Salah €17 million in each season, consisting of a €10 million salary and a €7 million signing payment.
He can also earn performance-related bonuses and will receive 20 per cent of the revenue from merchandise sold specifically under his name.
Salah’s contract is a record for the Turkish league, surpassing that held by Victor Osimhen’s €15 million deal at Galatasaray.
Their current Trabzonspor squad includes on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, as well as a couple of Cape Verde’s World Cup stars in Wagner Pina and Sidny Lopes Cabral.
Salah joins a trio of well-known Egyptian players who had at one time impressed in the Turkish league — midfielder Ahmed Hassan, fullback Abdel-Zaher Al-Saqqa and left winger Mahmoud Trezeguet.
Salah established himself as a Premier League great with Liverpool, winning two league titles and the Champions League among eight major honours at the Anfield club.
During his nine-year spell with Liverpool, Salah became the third top goalscorer in the club’s history and fourth in the all-time Premier League list.
The Egyptian won the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions and was named the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year three times — in 2018, 2022, and 2025.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 August, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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