Drogheda United to Face Trabzonspor in Historic Friendly
Drogheda United are heading into uncharted territory – and they might just run into Mohamed Salah on the way.
The League of Ireland club have confirmed a glamour friendly against Turkish giants Trabzonspor at Papara Park on 1 October, the first time the Louth side will play a game on Turkish soil.
The fixture drops into the calendar as Ireland and Turkey move towards marking 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, a broader political backdrop to what is, on the surface, a pre-season style friendly. For Drogheda, though, it is another chapter in a relationship that runs far deeper than a one-off game.
A sister-club story rooted in famine history
Drogheda are one of three official sister clubs of Trabzonspor, alongside Sanlıurfaspor and Siirt Provincial Special Administration Sport. That link was formalised in 2011, but the story stretches back well over a century.
Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer podcast in 2020, former Drogheda United PRO Roisin Philips outlined how the bond between the town and Turkey began.
"It goes back far longer than 2011 when they announced that we'd become their sister club," she said.
"In fact it goes back to the Great Famine in 1845. Drogheda had links with Turkey as a result of the Sultan at the time sending aid over to the Irish people. Boats came up the Boyne in Drogheda. He also sent £1,000 at the time.
"There's been a long history of co-operation between the two countries, from the Turkish side to Ireland."
That history will be front and centre around the game. The match will be accompanied by a Turkish TV documentary, titled ‘An Gorta Mór – The Star & The Crescent’, which will explore the story of Ottoman humanitarian assistance during the Irish Famine and how it shaped ties between the two nations.
Salah factor adds star power
All of that context gives the trip weight. The possibility of facing Mohamed Salah gives it a jolt of modern-day star power.
The Egyptian forward, who joined Trabzonspor after a glittering spell at Liverpool, is part of a high-profile squad that also includes his former Anfield team-mate Fabinho and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Whether Drogheda actually line up against Salah remains to be seen. His Egypt side face South Sudan in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 27 September, just days before the friendly, and his international commitments may keep him out of the game.
Even if he sits it out, the scale of the opposition is clear. Trabzonspor have assembled a marquee group in recent years, and their Süper Lig campaign will crank back up the week after the Drogheda clash, with Salah and company due to travel to Samsunspor.
Mini-camp with meaning
From Drogheda’s perspective, the timing works. The game falls during a three-week international break and will effectively double as a late-season mini-camp, giving the squad a change of scenery, high-level opposition and a chance to deepen a unique international connection.
A club rooted on the banks of the Boyne, stepping out in Papara Park against one of Turkey’s modern powerhouses, under the gaze of cameras documenting a story that began with famine relief in the 1840s.
For Drogheda United, this is more than a friendly. It’s history, politics and football colliding – and perhaps, if the stars align, a night marking the moment they tried to stop Mohamed Salah.
