Okocha’s Former Teammate Reis Takes Charge Of Onuachu, Salah At Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor have appointed former Germany international Thomas Reis as their new head coach, placing Nigerian forwards Paul Onuachu and Chibuike Nwaiwu under the guidance of Super Eagles legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha’s former teammate.

The Turkish club confirmed Reis’ appointment on Thursday following the resignation of Fatih Tekke earlier this month.

Reis, 52, played alongside Okocha at Eintracht Frankfurt during the 1990s, sharing the pitch with the Nigerian in 10 matches across all competitions.

While Okocha went on to enjoy a celebrated playing career with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bolton Wanderers and Nigeria, Reis moved into coaching after hanging up his boots.

He returns to Turkish football after an impressive spell with Samsunspor, where he worked between 2024 and 2026.

Reis left Samsunspor in February before taking charge of Bulgarian club Ludogorets in July, although his time there was short-lived.

His appointment at Trabzonspor comes at an important stage of the season for Onuachu, who is seeking to re-establish himself as a key figure at the club.

The Nigerian striker joined Trabzonspor permanently in 2025 following an initial loan spell and has since remained an important attacking option for the Turkish side.

However, Onuachu’s immediate prospects have been affected by an injury sustained during Trabzonspor’s match against Gençlerbirliği.

The injury forced him off and subsequently ruled him out of Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle’s squad for the upcoming qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month.

Nwaiwu, meanwhile, has retained his place in Chelle’s squad and will look to make an impression under Reis as he continues his development at club and international level.

Reis will also oversee the development of Trabzonspor’s other high-profile attacking talents, with the club looking to improve their fortunes under the German coach.

The appointment gives Onuachu and Nwaiwu a fresh opportunity to impress under a coach with previous experience in Turkish football, while Reis begins another chapter of his managerial career.