Turkey secured their return to the FIFA World Cup 24 years on after securing a narrow away victory against Kosovo, thanks to a decisive goal from Kerem Aktürkoğlu in the second half of the European play-off held in the Kosovar capital, Pristina.
After a tentative opening few minutes, the Kosovars took the initiative from the 20-minute mark, creating dangerous chances on the Turkish goal, culminating in a long-range shot just before the half-hour mark from Fisnik Asllani, which the Milli Takım goalkeeper, Uğurcan Çakır, managed to tip onto the crossbar. Overall, although Türkiye dominated possession throughout the match, the Balkan side managed to capitalise on counter-attacks and a more agile style of play.
The only goal of the match came in the second half, in the 53rd minute, when Kerem Aktürkoğlu capitalised on one of the few clear-cut chances conceded by Kosovo’s rock-solid defence to finish from the far post following a cross into the box by Orkun Kökçü, beating Arijanet Muric and putting the Turks ahead. The goal was celebrated in style by the Turkish bench, who rushed to embrace the Fenerbahçe striker, knowing it could be the play that decided the match.
And so it proved. From that moment on, the Kosovars, spurred on by their fans, tried to play their last cards in a bid to equalise and force extra time, but they came up against a solid Turkish defence and several memorable saves from Çakır; the Galatasaray goalkeeper was undoubtedly another of the key figures of the match, refereed by English official Michael Oliver, who showed a total of eight yellow cards, five of them to the Turkish side.
Çakır: “I’m very happy and proud of my team”
The 0-1 defeat left a deep impact on Kosovo’s fans and players, who saw themselves fall just short of a historic milestone and watched as their dream of playing in the World Cup was dashed. In the end, despite their drive and determination, the Kosovars failed to convert their chances into goals against a Turkey that managed to hold firm in their positions and control the game.
“I’m very happy and proud. The team have been fantastic, really good. We’re in the World Cup after 24 years; I was six years old in 2002. I’m proud to represent my country… It was a difficult match, a final, a decisive match. The pitch conditions… it hailed for about 10 or 15 minutes. The pitch was heavy; Kosovo hadn’t watered the pitch either, but God sent us rain,” said Uğurcan Çakır after the match, in comments reported by the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
The result against Kosovo secures Turkey’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup after overcoming the play-offs, an achievement that was celebrated with great jubilation by the squad led by the Turkish national team manager, the Italian coach Vincenzo Montella. Turkey, which has qualified for a World Cup for the first time since 2002 – when it reached the semi-finals – will be in Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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