Köksal Baba has met Mohamed Salah ahead of Trabzonspor’s highly anticipated Turkish Super League meeting with Galatasaray, adding to the excitement surrounding the Egyptian forward’s first major test in Turkey.
The popular Turkish content creator, who is a well-known supporter of Trabzonspor, shared a photograph with Salah on his official Instagram account and other social media platforms.
He accompanied the picture with the message: “Blessed Friday.”
Köksal Baba was born in Trabzon and is among the most recognisable supporters of the Turkish club. His popularity extends beyond Turkey, with his social media videos helping him build a following of more than 4 million people on Instagram.
His meeting with Salah comes after he previously celebrated the Egyptian’s arrival at Trabzonspor on a free transfer following his departure from Liverpool.
Salah seeks to revive Trabzonspor
Salah will now turn his attention to helping Trabzonspor return to winning ways when they face Galatasaray in the sixth round of the Turkish league on Saturday.
The Egyptian has made a strong individual contribution during his first five league matches, directly contributing to five goals.
He has scored four times and provided one assist, making him Trabzonspor’s leading scorer so far this season.
Despite Salah’s individual form, Trabzonspor have endured inconsistent results and will be looking to improve their position when they take on the league leaders.
Galatasaray currently sit at the top of the table with 13 points from five matches, while Trabzonspor occupy ninth place with seven points.
The fixture will also be significant for Trabzonspor because it marks the beginning of a new era under German coach Thomas Reiss.
Reiss has been appointed on a two-season contract following the departure of Turkish coach Fatih Tekki.
Galatasaray provide first major test
Saturday’s encounter represents Salah’s first major challenge since his move to Turkish football, with attention focused on whether he can help Trabzonspor produce a result against one of the league’s leading sides.
The Egyptian has already made an impact in the opening five rounds, but the meeting with Galatasaray will provide a different challenge as Trabzonspor attempt to close the gap on the teams above them.
For Salah, the objective will be to continue his scoring form while helping his new club recover from their recent inconsistent run.
Trabzonspor ended their association with Tekki earlier this month after a series of disappointing results.
Tekki had been in charge since March 2025 and managed the club in 62 matches during his spell, guiding them to the Turkish Cup title last year.
Reiss has now taken over with the task of leading Trabzonspor into a new phase, beginning with a demanding fixture against Galatasaray.
With Salah already established as the team’s leading contributor in front of goal, Trabzonspor will hope their Egyptian star can make an impact again as they look to return to winning form.
The meeting with Galatasaray therefore brings together several major storylines: Salah’s growing influence, Reiss’s first match in charge and Trabzonspor’s attempt to recover ground in the Turkish league.
