Muçi’s late strike sends Trabzonspor into 18th Turkish Cup final

Trabzonspor kept their Turkish Cup dream alive in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, overturning a deficit to beat Gençlerbirliği 2-1 and book a place in the 2026 Turkish Cup final against Konyaspor.

The Black Sea side looked destined for extra time before Ernest Muçi struck deep into stoppage time, firing home in the 92nd minute to complete a tense comeback in Ankara and send Trabzonspor into the final for the third straight season.

The victory carried extra weight for a club desperate to end a six-year wait for silverware. Trabzonspor will now chase a 10th Turkish Cup title when they face Konyaspor on May 22 at Corendon Airlines Park Antalya Stadium.

After falling behind in the semi-final, Trabzonspor gradually seized control of the contest and forced Gençlerbirliği onto the back foot. An own goal sparked the comeback before Muçi delivered the decisive blow in the dying moments, silencing the home crowd and extending Trabzonspor’s rich history in Turkey’s premier domestic cup competition.

The final appearance will be the club’s 18th in Turkish Cup history, underlining a long-standing pedigree in the tournament. Trabzonspor previously lifted the trophy nine times, with triumphs spread across several eras of the club’s rise in Turkish football.

Their first success came against Beşiktaş in 1976-77, before further victories over Adana Demirspor, Bursaspor, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Alanyaspor cemented the club’s reputation as one of the competition’s traditional heavyweights. Particularly memorable were back-to-back triumphs over Gençlerbirliği in 2002-03 and 2003-04, while their most recent title arrived in 2019-20 with a 2-0 victory over Alanyaspor.

Since that last success, Trabzonspor have repeatedly come close without finishing the job. They lost finals against Beşiktaş and Galatasaray in recent seasons, making this latest run another opportunity to restore the club’s standing among Turkey’s elite.

The journey to Antalya also represents another important chapter for coach Fatih Tekke, who continues to strengthen his bond with the club where he became a legendary forward.

Tekke took charge in March 2025 following the departure of Şenol Güneş and immediately guided Trabzonspor to last season’s final, only to suffer a heavy defeat against Galatasaray. One year later, he has another chance to claim his first major trophy as a manager.

Despite questions over squad depth and consistency during parts of the season, Tekke has kept Trabzonspor competitive both in the Süper Lig and the cup. The dramatic semi-final comeback further strengthened belief that the team may finally be ready to end its trophy drought.

Club president Ertuğrul Doğan will also head into the final hoping to secure the first major silverware of his presidency. Having previously played executive roles during successful years for the club, Doğan now stands one match away from adding another trophy to Trabzonspor’s cabinet.

Awaiting them in Antalya will be Konyaspor, who reached the final after knocking out Beşiktaş in the other semi-final.

The showdown will mark the first Turkish Cup final meeting between Trabzonspor and Konyaspor, adding another layer of intrigue to the occasion. Their league meetings this season were evenly split, with Trabzonspor winning 3-1 at home before Konyaspor answered with a 2-1 victory in Konya.

DAILYSABAH