Akin Ayomide
Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi opened his goal account for Besiktas as the Turkish giants claimed a 2-0 victory over Konyaspor in their Super Lig clash at the Konya Buyuksehir Belediye Stadium on Wednesday.
Ndidi, who was recently appointed as vice-captain of the club, played a crucial role in midfield alongside new captain Orkun Kökcü, and the duo combined brilliantly for the opener, with the Turkish midfielder providing the assist for the Nigerian.
Despite Konyaspor’s persistent pressure, Besiktas held firm to protect their one-goal lead heading into the break. The home side continued to dominate possession in the second half but failed to break through a disciplined Besiktas defense.
The visitors’ resilience paid off in the 73rd minute when Tammy Abraham capitalized on a goalkeeping error by Derniz Ertas, dispossessing him and calmly slotting into an empty net to double the lead.
The former Chelsea striker thought he had added a third late on, but his 85th-minute goal was ruled out by VAR, ensuring the score line remained 2-0.
The victory lifts Besiktas to sixth place on the Super Lig table with 16 points, while Konyaspor remain ninth with 11 points.
Besiktas travelled to Konya reeling from their first home defeat of the season — a shock 2-1 loss to newly-promoted Genclerbirligi. The Black Eagles had led from the early stages of the second half, only to concede twice in the space of three minutes between the 79th and 81st minutes.
With pressure beginning to mount, head coach Sergen Yalcin was desperate for an immediate response, and Wednesday’s victory provided just that, ending the club’s two-game winless run in the league.
The Istanbul outfit have now collected seven points from their last three away fixtures, showing signs of improvement on the road after losing their first two away games of the season.
Besiktas will aim to maintain their momentum when they face Kasimpasa on Sunday, while Konyaspor will be hoping to bounce back against Gençlerbirliği on the same day.