Mustafa Kocabey

Mustafa Kocabey — Biography

Mustafa Kocabey, born on 6 October 1974 in Istanbul, is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a forward. Because his playing style and physique were compared to those of the famous French striker Jean-Pierre Papin, he was nicknamed 'Papen Mustafa' throughout his career. He began his professional career at Galatasaray, scored in the final of the 1992 UEFA European Under-18 Championship as Turkey won the title, and went on to play at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Kocabey had a long, well-travelled career, turning out for 24 different clubs, making more than 600 appearances and scoring 351 goals; he was the top scorer of the Turkish 1. Lig three times and of the 3. Lig twice. After retiring as a player, he remained involved in football, and in 2025 was appointed sporting director of the Türk Ocağı Limasol club in Northern Cyprus.