Sabahattin Erboğa

Sabahattin Erboğa — Biography

Sabahattin Erboğa (1954, Kars – 25 November 1999, İzmir) was a Turkish national footballer and coach. He began his career at Fenerbahçe between 1975 and 1977 before moving to Altay, where he spent many years and became regarded as one of the club’s legendary players. Although he played right-back, he was known for driving forward down the wing like a dynamo, an unusual trait for a defender of that era.

In 1978, teammate Nevruz Şerif nicknamed him "Kunta Kinte Sabahattin," after the lead character of the popular TRT series Kökler (Roots), because of his dark complexion and diligent work rate; the nickname later caught on among fans in the stands and stuck with him. His friendship with Nevruz Şerif was so close that he named his own son after him — Nevruz Eralp Erboğa, who came up through Altay’s youth ranks to become a professional footballer himself.

After retiring as a player, Erboğa moved into coaching and served as assistant coach of Turkey’s under-21 national team under head coach Raşit Çetiner. He died of a heart attack at his home in İzmir on 25 November 1999; he was buried in Özdere following noon prayers at Alsancak Hocazade Mosque the next day.