Super Eagles’ Bright Osayi-Samuel To Face Panel In Turkey

Super Eagles of Nigeria defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, will face a panel over the pitch invasion incident that happened on March 17, 2024.

On the said date, Bright Osayi-Samuel and his teammates at Fenerbahce were at Papara Park to take on Trabzonspor in a league game.

Fenerbahce won the away game with a 3-2 scoreline, which caused the club’s players to celebrate exuberantly and provoked the fans of the home team to invade the pitch.

One of the fans who reportedly invaded the pitch with a knife attacked Osayi-Samuel and his teammates, forcing the Nigeria international to defend himself and his teammates.

The Nigerian footballer was captured on camera punching down the pitch invader and descending on him before the security operatives intervened.

In his first interview after the incident, Bright Osayi-Samuel, who was with the Super Eagles of Nigeria during the international break (March 19 to March 26), stressed that he attacked the pitch invader out of self-defense.

According to a statement released by the TFF earlier today, April 1, 2024, Osayi-Samuel and two of his teammates at Fenerbahce will appear at a disciplinary hearing of the Turkish Football Federation.

The two other Fenerbahce players likely to face the panel are goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who was reportedly punched in the face by a fan, and Dutch defender Jayden Oosterwolde, who reportedly kicked a fan.

The TFF said the players will appear before the panel with two employees of Fenerbahce for “fighting”.

A Trabzonspor assistant coach has also been invited to face the disciplinary committee over the pitch invasion incident.

Note that authorities in Turkey have arrested Thirteen Trabzonspor supporters over the incident. Five of the arrested supporters have been placed in pre-trial detention.