Mohamed Salah set for Turkish Super League debut
By Luke Oluoch, August 15, 2026Former Liverpool and English Premier League legend Mohamed Salah could make his Turkish Süper Lig debut this Saturday, August 15, 2026, for his new club Trabzonspor as they face Kasimpasa SK in the domestic front.
The encounter will be staged at the over 14,000-seat Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium in Istanbul.
The two sides face off in the Süper Lig opening fixture at 7:00 pm, which could mark Mohamed Salah’s highly anticipated debut for Trabzonspor and signal the start of a new era in Turkish football.
Salah departs EPL
Having arrived in Trabzon on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, to a euphoric and heroic welcome, following an official unveiling ceremony attended by 30,000 supporters at Papara Park, Salah immediately shifted his focus to on-pitch matters, revealing his ambitious targets for the club.
Repay the fans
Salah was reportedly overwhelmed by the incredible level of passion and warmth shown by the Trabzonspor faithful, admitting the reception far surpassed his expectations. Demonstrating his trademark professionalism, the winger is determined to reward the supporters with immediate impact on the pitch.
“I want to return this love,” Salah stated, making it clear that his primary goal is to feature in the matchday squad for the opening away trip to Istanbul.
However, his immediate involvement remains subject to manager Fatih Tekke’s decision. Tekke has yet to confirm whether his star signing will play a part in the opening round after Salah remained at the club’s training base to catch up on match fitness.
Salah joins Onana in Turkey
Along with the headline arrival of Mohamed Salah, the opening-round clash between Kasımpaşa and Trabzonspor will feature a host of key stars capable of deciding the tie. Trabzonspor boasts plenty of firepower to complement Salah’s pace on the wing, led by tall Nigerian target man and former EPL striker Paul Onuachu, who offers a formidable physical goal threat inside the penalty box.
brings crucial creativity from the flanks following a strong end to last season, while Manchester United loanee André Onana, who remains out of the picture at Old Trafford, adds top-tier international experience between the posts to anchor the claret-and-blue defense.
Kasımpaşa, on the other hand, possesses plenty of weapons of their own to trouble the visitors. Speedster Fousseni Diabaté serves as their primary focal point on counter-attacks, working in tandem with the direct and tricky Mamadou Fall to stretch defences on the right wing.
In the centre of the park, former Bundesliga ace Kerem Demirbay controls the tempo of the engine room with his precise passing distribution and dangerous set-piece delivery, while energetic full-back Cláudio Winck provides a constant overlap threat to whip inviting crosses into the box.
The encounter will kick off at 7:00 pm.