Alanyaspor FC: Football Guide to the Thunders of Alanya, Squad and African Players

Alanyaspor are a Turkish football club from Alanya on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya Province, founded in 1948 and nicknamed Şimşekler, the Thunders. They play in orange and green at Alanya Oba Stadium, and they reached the Süper Lig for the first time in 2016 after a penalty shootout in the TFF 1. Lig playoff final. Below you will find who coaches the club, how it took its name, where it plays, how it climbed to European football and which African players have worn the shirt, with the Nigerian connection first.

Readers searching for Alanyaspor FC, Alanyaspor news or the Alanyaspor squad will find the moving numbers in the live modules above, while the words here explain what stays true from one season to the next. The club belongs on the radar of anyone in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra or Kampala who follows soccer abroad, because its history traces a route through the Turkish divisions. Awaziem's spell offers African readers a direct connection to that history.

Who Are Alanyaspor, the Thunders of the Turkish Coast?

Alanyaspor are a professional club from Alanya, in Antalya Province on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, and reached the Süper Lig, the country's top division, in 2016. Their nickname, Şimşekler, translates as the Thunders, and the orange and green colours date from May 1982. For readers new to Turkish football, the ladder is simple once it is laid out. The Süper Lig sits at the top, the TFF 1. Lig sits directly below it, and the TFF 2. Lig and TFF 3. Lig sit beneath those, with promotion and relegation linking each rung. A competition label beside Alanyaspor's name identifies the level of that fixture.

Who Is the Coach of Alanyaspor?

The coach field in the club data module names Alanyaspor's head coach and records the appointment date. Read it alongside the squad list when checking who selects the team. The appointment date gives context for how long the coach has worked with the players.

When Was Alanyaspor Founded, and How Did They Get Their Name?

Alanyaspor were founded in 1948 by Dr. Ali Nazım Köseoğlu and a group of local youths, and they began life as Alanya Kalespor. The name Alanyaspor, along with the orange and green, arrived in May 1982, more than three decades after the club was formed. A couple of years later, in 1984-85, they were admitted to the TFF 3. Lig as the first professional team from Alanya. It could be argued that the 1982 rename mattered as much as any result, because it put the city's own name on the shirt.

Where Do Alanyaspor Play?

Alanyaspor play their home matches at Alanya Oba Stadium, an all seater ground in the city of Alanya with a listed capacity of 9,789, although figures of about 10,000 also appear in published records. Use the venue field in the fixtures module to identify home matches before checking the kick off time.

Which African Players Have Worn the Alanyaspor Shirt?

Nigeria has a direct link to Alanyaspor through Chidozie Awaziem, who joined on loan on 8 September 2021. He made 18 league appearances in 2021-22 and scored once. Awaziem was already a Super Eagles defender by then, named in Nigeria's 2018 World Cup squad and selected for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria finished third.

The squad module lists Alanyaspor's players this season, with nationality fields to help readers find African connections. Each player links to his own profile and national team page. Readers in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda can follow those links to explore Africans abroad, while Nigerian readers can trace Awaziem's international career. A useful question is whether the player you follow is in the matchday squad and how many minutes he receives.

Where Is the Latest Alanyaspor News, and How Do You Read the Fixtures?

Dated Alanyaspor news entries cover team selections and transfers in the news module. Open Alanyaspor fixtures for league and cup schedules, then use the results and standings modules to follow completed matches. Check the competition and venue fields as well as the date when choosing a fixture to follow.

In the Süper Lig table, or log, the upper places determine the champions and European qualification routes, while the relegation places lead to the TFF 1. Lig. Alanyaspor first appeared in European competition in 2020. Read the points column alongside matches played, then consult individual results for the detail behind the standings.

From the TFF 3. Lig to Europe: The Alanyaspor History in Brief

The climb began properly in 1987-88, when Alanyaspor won their TFF 3. Lig group and were promoted to the TFF 2. Lig, and the defining match came almost three decades later. In 2016 they beat Adana Demirspor on penalties in the TFF 1. Lig playoff final, which carried the club into the Süper Lig for the first time. That shootout secured the club's first promotion to Turkey's top division.

Alanyaspor reached the Turkish Cup final and lost 2-0 to Trabzonspor in Istanbul on 29 July 2020. Their European debut followed on 24 September 2020, a 1-0 away loss to Rosenborg in the Europa League third qualifying round, played behind closed doors. Those appearances mark further stages in the history of a club that turned professional in 1984-85.

The club also keeps one number out of circulation. Alanyaspor retired the No. 90 shirt in honour of Josef Šural, the Czech forward who played for them in 2019. The timeline below places that wider club history alongside the arrival of Nigerian defender Awaziem in 2021.

What Is the Mediterranean Derby, and Why Corendon Alanyaspor?

Alanyaspor's local rivalry with Antalyaspor is known as the Akdeniz Derbisi, the Mediterranean Derby. It brings together supporters from two cities in the same region, each convinced its club speaks for the area. In Turkish match listings and many live score apps the club appears as Corendon Alanyaspor, which comes from a naming rights deal with Corendon announced in June 2022. Searching under that fuller name can help locate the club in feeds that use the sponsor title.

How Do You Watch and Follow Alanyaspor From Africa?

For readers following Awaziem's former club from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana or Uganda, the broadcast module identifies viewing options by country. Check the listing for the individual fixture, since coverage differs between markets. For a 20:00 start in Alanya, the corresponding times are 18:00 WAT for Nigeria, 20:00 EAT for Kenya and Uganda, 19:00 SAST for South Africa and 17:00 GMT for Ghana.

A practical approach is to save the Alanyaspor fixtures link and select your location in your live score app. Viewers in Nairobi and Kampala can use EAT reminders, those in Johannesburg can choose SAST, and readers in Accra can use GMT. Before watching, open the squad and player profiles to check the African connections that interest you.