Mostafa Mohamed set for early Konyaspor reunion with Mohamed Salah

Mostafa Mohamed’s second match for Konyaspor is set to be a significant early test, with the Egypt striker due to face Mohamed Salah and Trabzonspor after returning to the Turkish league from France.

Mohamed completed his move from Nantes to Konyaspor on the final day of the summer transfer window, beginning a new chapter after four seasons in Ligue 1. The Turkish club have confirmed that the Egypt international has signed a three-year contract.

His first fixtures with Konyaspor come at a difficult moment for the team. Konyaspor are bottom of the Turkish league after three matches, having collected no points so far this season.

The club’s second scheduled match involving Mohamed will be against Trabzonspor, the side featuring Egypt captain Salah, on Saturday, 12 September. The game is likely to attract particular attention because of the meeting between the two international forwards.

Before that encounter, Konyaspor are due to travel to Erzurumspor on Saturday, 5 September, in the Turkish league. Their next fixture after the Trabzonspor match will be away to Kasımpasa on Friday, 18 September.

The international break will begin after those three matches, giving Mohamed a short initial run of fixtures in which to settle into his new side and make an impression.

Konyaspor have also announced that the 27-year-old will wear the number 42 shirt. The move marks a return to Turkey for Mohamed, who previously played in the country with Galatasaray.

Mohamed joined Nantes from Galatasaray for a reported fee of 6.5m euros. During his time with the French club, he made 136 appearances and scored 29 goals.

His transfer to Konyaspor therefore represents a return to a competition and a country he already knows, although his new team face the immediate challenge of improving their results. With three league games listed before the international break, Mohamed will have the opportunity to establish himself quickly in Konyaspor’s attack.

The meeting with Trabzonspor stands out among those opening fixtures because it will bring him up against Salah, adding an international dimension to the striker’s first days at his new club. For Konyaspor, however, the focus will be on securing their first points of the campaign after a winless opening three matches.

Mohamed’s move follows four seasons in France and gives him another opportunity to continue his career in Turkey, where he previously represented Galatasaray before Nantes signed him for 6.5m euros. His three-year agreement with Konyaspor and the number 42 shirt confirm the club’s plans for him as they attempt to move away from the bottom of the Turkish league table.