Ghana defender Jerome Opoku confident BaÅ?akÅ?ehir can bounce back from poor start

Ghanaian defender Jerome Opoku remains confident that his club, Ä°stanbul BaÅŸakÅŸehir, can turn around their poor start to the Turkish Super Lig season and fight for a return to European competition.

The 27-year-old centre-back has started in nine of BaÅŸakÅŸehir’s last 10 matches, playing the full 90 minutes in eight of them, and continues to be a key figure in the team’s defence. Despite their early struggles, which include three consecutive defeats and just six points from their opening eight league games, Opoku believes it is only a matter of time before results begin to improve.

"Obviously, we haven't started great, but I know we can still qualify for Europe and achieve that once it clicks," Opoku told RG."I’ve been really focused on conceding fewer goals, just keeping that to a minimum, and maybe being a bit more efficient in scoring a couple more goals. We’re only losing games by one goal; you won't see a game this season where we're getting smacked 4-0. The goals that we're conceding aren’t amazing; it’s more often a mistake from us."

The former Fulham and Arouca defender added that consistency and teamwork will be key to BaÅŸakÅŸehir’s revival. "With the time we spend together, we're learning about each other, and I think that we’re going to go on a run…I don’t think that’s far off. I’m not worried at all, this club is a top 4-5 club in Turkey, so we’ll be there in Europe 100%."

Off the pitch, Opoku continues to balance his football career with family life, raising his two-year-old son, Cruz, and six-month-old son, Rome, with his wife. He is under contract with BaÅŸakÅŸehir through 2027 and remains one of Ghana’s most reliable defenders as he looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story