The African duo had a decent game to help the Braves move to the tenth position pending these weekend’s matches
Nigeria international Olarenwaju Kayode and his Ivory Coast counterpart Max Gradel were on target as Sivasspor claimed a 4-0 win over Ahmed Musa’s Fatih Karagumruk in a Turkish top-tier match played at Yeni Sivas 4 Eylul on Saturday.
Karagumruk had lost by a solitary goal the last time the two teams met at the same venue last season.
In the previous four meetings in all competitions, the best Fatih’s Grandchildren had done was a draw. They had lost three matches, conceding seven goals in the process, and scored three.
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Both Super Eagles skipper Musa and Morocco international Mehdi Benatia started for Karagumruk, although they were unable to prevent a miserable defeat.
However, the Braves pinned their opponents in their half and opened the scoring in the first minute. Pedro Enrique had the easiest task of picking out the advancing Kayode, who did not waste the opportunity to hand his charges an early lead.
It became even worse for the visitors when Atlas Lion Benatia was substituted in the stroke of halftime owing to an injury sustained in the course of the game. Jure Balkovec took his position at the back.
The substitute could not do anything to stop the hosts from scoring their second of the match. This time around, Sivasspor managed to get a set piece in the 50th minute which was delivered by Ivory Coast attacker Gradel.
Dimitrios Goutas converted, unchallenged, to double his team’s advantage and pile more pressure on the Black Red.
Six minutes later, Jorge Felix scored a third for his team. He thought he had completed his brace in the 63rd minute, but after the VAR review, the goal was scrapped as he was adjudged to have been in an offside position.
Super Eagle Kayode was eventually substituted moments later, with Mali international Mustafa Yatabare taking his place.
However, it was the Elephant Gradel who ensured his name was on the scoresheet with 20 minutes to go. Morocco’s Faycal Fajr provided the assist for the attacker to score the team’s fourth.
The win took the Sivas-based side to the tenth position with nine points, while Karugumruk are placed eighth with two more points pending these weekend’s matches.
