Nigerian star, Ibrahim Olawoyin scored twice, including the match winner, as Çaykur Rizespor recorded a crucial comeback 3-2 win over İstanbul Başakşehir in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday afternoon.
Olawoyin, who has been ever present for Rizespor this season since helping them gain promotion back to the topflight, seized the occasion to grab his first goals of the season.
It was the relegation-threatened visitors who took the initiative early on to get the game’s opening goal. Former AC Milan star Krzysztof Piątek fired home after just six minutes before Olawoyin and former Liverpool player Jonjo Shelvey combined for the equalizer just six minutes later.
Rizespor kept the pressure on and just five minutes after getting back on level terms, they went in front for the first time at the Çaykur Didi Stadium. 22-year-old Dal Varesanovic scored to take his season’s tally to three goals.
Despite the domination, the home side could not add to their tally and they were punished on the stroke of halftime by Jerome Opoku to level the scoring going into the break.
Upon resumption of play, Rizespor stepped things up but the breakthrough did not arrive until in stoppage time. Olawoyin latching onto a defensive clearance to hammer home a deceptively-curling half volley from 23 yards.
Olawoyin’s brace on Saturday is his first set of goals in the Turkish topflight this season. The win also propelled Rizespor to 7th on the log, a point above Antalyaspor who are directly below them on the table.
Olawoyin and his Rizespor teammates will continue their steady rise on the log when they travel to face Ankaragucu next Monday.
