Nigeria centre-back Chibuike Nwaiwu has offered a candid assessment of what it takes to face his Trabzonspor teammate Mohamed Salah, warning that any defender who loses focus — even for an instant — will pay the price against the Egyptian forward.

"Every player who plays against Salah needs to be very prepared," Nwaiwu told Haber61. "As a defender, I would like to play against Salah. If I'm going to play against him, I need to be 100% ready and completely focused. Because Salah is not a player you can easily take out of the game. He has very high quality."

Nwaiwu, who represents the Super Eagles, stressed that Salah's technical ability and all-round game mean defenders cannot afford the briefest lapse in concentration. The Nigerian said he embraces the challenge of testing himself against attackers of Salah's calibre rather than shying away from it.

Salah's explosive Trabzonspor start

The 34-year-old's performances have done little to contradict that assessment. Salah scored twice on his Turkish Süper Lig debut for Trabzonspor and came close to a hat-trick as the club defeated Istanbul Basaksehir.

That outing was his third appearance for the club. He had previously come on as a substitute against Kasımpaşa and started the UEFA Europa League play-off first-leg defeat to Ferencváros.

A new chapter after Liverpool

Salah departed Liverpool this summer as a free agent after nine years and 257 goals for the Merseyside club. Although a move to Saudi Arabia had been widely expected, he instead agreed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor, earning £280,000 per week.

For Nwaiwu, sharing a dressing room with one of the world's most feared forwards offers a daily education — and, when they line up against each other in training, a stern examination of any defender's credentials.