Samsunspor reached the last 16 of a UEFA competition for the first time in their history after a commanding 4-0 victory over KF Shkëndija in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League tie, sealing a 5-0 aggregate triumph.

Having secured a narrow first-leg win in North Macedonia, Samsunspor entered the return fixture in control. Shkëndija, still searching for their first away goal in the main draw of a UEFA competition, faced a daunting task but began with energy and intent.

Despite their endeavour, the visitors lacked cutting edge in the final third. Fahd Ndzengue did manage to test Okan Kocuk from a tight angle, but clear opportunities were scarce. At the other end, Samsunspor were measured rather than relentless, creating only half-chances for much of the first half.

The best opening before the break fell to Carlo Holse, whose first-time effort from inside the box was superbly kept out by Boubacarr Gaye, preserving parity on the night.

Shkëndija needed a spark after the restart but instead fell further behind inside 10 minutes. Jaurès Assoumou was brought down in the area by Alensandër Trumçi, and Olivier Ntcham stepped up to convert the resulting penalty with composure — making amends for Cherif Ndiaye’s miss from the spot in the first leg.

Two goals down on aggregate, the North Macedonian side struggled to respond, even after introducing club legend Besart Ibraimi. Instead, Samsunspor tightened their grip on the tie. Ndiaye made it 3-0 on the night, tapping into an empty net from Assoumou’s low cross to register his first goal of 2026.

Marius Mouandilmadji thought he had added a fourth soon after with a thunderous strike into the roof of the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. The forward then struck the post and was again flagged offside before finally getting his reward, coolly slotting the ball through Gaye’s legs.

Already the competition’s joint-top scorer before kick-off, Mouandilmadji was not finished. He hit the woodwork once more late on but eventually capped a dominant display by tapping home in stoppage time to take his tally to seven goals in this season’s Conference League.

It was a comfortable and historic evening for the Turkish side, who now await a last-16 showdown with either Shakhtar Donetsk or Rayo Vallecano.

As for Shkëndija, they had already made history as the first North Macedonian club to reach this stage of a UEFA competition. Despite their heavy defeat, their European campaign remains a landmark achievement for the club and their country.