Super Eagles midfielder, Peter Etebo, has reflected on the injury-plagued season that kept him on the sidelines for most of the 2025/26 campaign as he looks to make a strong comeback with Turkish side Genclerbirligi, The Punch reports.
The midfielder’s absence from the national team has now reached 1,345 days, with persistent injuries derailing what had once been a flourishing international career.
Genclerbirligi endured a tense battle for survival in the Turkish Super Lig last season. Heading into the final round of fixtures, the club needed a positive result to avoid relegation and eventually secured their top-flight status with a convincing 3-0 victory over Trabzonspor at Papara Park, a result that sent Antalyaspor down instead.
Etebo was unable to contribute significantly to the club’s survival mission after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during training.
The injury sidelined him for virtually the entire season, while further muscle complications delayed his return to full fitness.
The 30-year-old made just one competitive appearance throughout the campaign. He started the season opener against Samsunspor on August 9 but was forced off after 42 minutes in a 2-1 defeat. He ended the season with a single appearance, 42 minutes of action and no goals or assists.
Looking ahead to the new season, Etebo acknowledged the challenges the club endured during the previous campaign.
“No one wants to experience the difficulties we faced last season. We are continuing our preparations accordingly. If we want to remember last year, we left behind a very complicated season with many coaching and presidency changes and elections. But no matter what, we managed to stay in the league, even if it was in the last match,” he said per Sporanki.
The former Stoke City midfielder also appealed to the club’s supporters for patience while emphasising Genclerbirligi’s rich tradition and ambition.
“My message to the fans is this: of course, I know they do not want us to succeed.
“Last year was a difficult year. But when you look at it, there is a 103-year-old club here, a club with a tremendous history, a club that has been successful and is hungry for more success. But, of course, it is up to us, the players, to make it happen. I promise we will do our best. Of course, we will see together where we are at the end of the season.”
Although Etebo is concentrating on reviving his club career, his exploits with the Super Eagles remain memorable. The midfielder has earned 44 senior caps for Nigeria but has not represented the country since the friendly defeat to Portugal in November 2022.
His place in Nigerian football folklore was cemented years earlier. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Etebo became the first Nigerian footballer to score four goals in a single Olympic match, leading the Dream Team to a thrilling 5-4 victory over Japan before helping the side secure the bronze medal.
He also impressed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, featuring in all three group-stage matches under former coach Gernot Rohr.
Earlier in his career, he claimed the 2015 CAF Most Promising Talent Award after emerging as the leading scorer at the CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations.
