J’can striker Cephas cool on move to Turkey
Jamaican striker Renaldo Cephas says he is not getting too far ahead of himself despite his latest climb up European football’s ladder with a transfer to Turkish top-flight side MKE Ankaragucu.
Cephas, 23, recently made the move from North Macedonia outfit KF Shkupi, where he had a successful one-year stint highlighted by a four-goal haul against Lithuanian club Hegelmann in a Europa Conference League qualification match last month.
“When I arrived in Macedonia last summer, I told myself that I was going to take the opportunity and make the most of it, so to be able to transfer to the Turkish Super League after only one season, I feel really pleased,” he said.
“But honestly, I don’t want to celebrate too much, because I know that it’s one thing to reach this level, but it’s another thing to conquer it, so I’m mindful. My immediate plan is to settle quickly, learn as much as possible from my new coaches and teammates so that I can perform my job at a very high level.”
Ankaragucu, located in Turkey’s capital Ankara, finished 11th in the 2022-23 Super League which was won by Galatasaray. Former Reggae Boy Dever Orgill played for Ankaragucu in the 2019-20 campaign.
Cephas, who played for Arnett Gardens FC in the Jamaica Premier League before leaving for North Macedonia in the summer of 2022, is a fleet-footed attacker with an eye for goal.
Cephas’s agent Kevin Cowan is optimistic the player will be a hit in Turkey.
“I’m thrilled for Cephas and for his family, because he’s such a great person. He’s incredibly talented, but he also works really hard and he has a professional mindset, and this is what’s propelling him forward. Indeed, the Turkish Super League will be a very tough challenge, but he has what it takes to make a successful transition,” Cowan told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.