Okocha’s ex-teammate emerges new Onuachu, Salah coach

Trabzonspor have appointed Thomas Reis, a former teammate of Super Eagles legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, as their new head coach, putting him in charge of Nigerian duo Paul Onuachu and Chibuike Nwaiwu, as well as Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.

The Turkish club confirmed the appointment on Thursday, and Reis takes over from Fatih Tekke, who resigned earlier this month.

The 52-year-old German played alongside Okocha at Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1990s, and they shared the pitch in 10 matches across all competitions. Okocha went on to become one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, while Reis moved into coaching after retiring.

Reis returns to Turkey after a successful spell with Samsunspor between 2024 and 2026.

He left the club in February and took charge of Bulgarian side Ludogorets in July, but that stay was brief.

The change comes at a delicate time for Onuachu, who is trying to regain an important role at Trabzonspor after making his move permanent in 2025 following an initial loan.

He was forced off against Gençlerbirliği with an injury and was subsequently left out of Chelle’s squad for the qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month.

Nwaiwu, on the other hand, was included in the squad and will compete for his place under the new coach while hoping to impress with the Super Eagles.

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