GENCLERBIRLIGI MAINTAIN THEIR MOMENTUM AT THE HALF WAY STAGE OF THE SEASON !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Gencler didn’t ‘bottle it’ in their last match last Saturday before the winter break !

Adana Demirspor     2          GENCLERBIRLIGI      3

After the disappointment of exiting the Turkish Cup last week, Gencler kept their nerve and focus and go into the winter break with their 5 points cushion at the top of the league.

Nobre and Nadir (with 2) were the scorers and things look rosy for at least one team in Ankara.

Denizli in 2^nd place, Gazi in 3^rd and Umraniye in 4^th all won so they have not given up the chase !

As I have said before in previous posts, the Championship League is not an easy league to ‘escape from’, but Gencler has done the biz and can look forward with confidence to the resumption on 19 January 2019.

The opening matches should give us a clue of how things will pan out with Gencler away to Hatay, who knocked them out of the Cup.    2^nd plays 3^rd when Gazi host Denizli.

Will we still have Super league footie in Ankara next season ?     As always, keep watching this space for the answer !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU IN FREEFALL !!!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Headline by Kaleci Kanka Tansu !

This will be a short and ‘bitter’ report !

Ankaragucu can have no complaints about yesterday’s scoreline in Kayseri.   They were totally outplayed by an average Goztepe team who were up for it.   Goztepe was always first to the ball, closing players down and looked much fitter than Ankaragucu.   That’s not to say that Ankaragucu didn’t have chances to score, but for the most part they were futile efforts.    Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Kaleci Kanka Tansu and I watched the match in The Anasson Bar in the company of some other frustrated Ankaragucu supporters !

ANKARAGUCU     0             Goztepe       3

Team – Korcan, Mehmet, Alihan, Kone, Kenan, Sedat, Faty, Mokhtar, Ilhan, El-Kabir and Kubilay.

Substitutes used – Putsila, Cerci and Kehinde

It was all Goztepe for the first 10 minutes and they almost went in front in the 2^nd minute when Mokhtar’s back-pass was short and latched onto by a Goztepe forward, but fortunately Korcan was alert to it and smothered the ball at his feet.

Goztepe did score in the 9^th minute but it was rightly chalked off for offside.

Ankaragucu did have 3 chances in the first half.   Ilhan received a pass from the left but shot tamely past the post.   Kubilay was targeted by a cross from the right but missed his header and Mokhtar struck a free kick just outside the penalty box straight into the wall !

Goztepe started the 2^nd half as they did the 1^st half.    They were stroking the ball around and giving Ankaragucu the run-around, and they almost opened the scoring 3 minutes in.   A sweeping passing move was halted by Mehmet with a saving interception to frustrate Goztepe.

However, we only had 2 minutes to wait for the inevitable goal and it was another sweeping move with a perfect cross from the left and Jerome first timed it into the top left with Korcan well beaten.

It was almost two 6 minutes later when a Goztepe header hit the outside of the post and went out.

Then in the 66^th minute the most amazing and unbelievable decision when El-Kabir (the only player looking capable of scoring) was hooked and Cerci came on to replace him.   Actually, Cerci should have been on from the start !!!

2 minutes later and goal of the match when Goztepe brought the ball from their own box with Ankaragucu back peddling and the classic cut back on the left and swept in by Halil to put the match out of Ankaragucu’s reach.

10 minutes later it was all over.   Another break down the left by Goztepe, the cross came over and Gouffran stepped between THREE Ankaragucu defenders to slot in with ease.

There was one chance near the end for Ankaragucu when Kenan did some great work down the right to beat 3 Goztepe defenders.   His perfect cross was met by Kehinde near the penalty spot but his weak shot was sent straight into the goalkeeper’s hands !

So, as Tansu quite rightly said, Ankaragucu is in Freefall and have slipped to 12^th position in the league.   However, if Kayseri win in Erzurum today it will be 13^th position !

So to the Winter ‘of Discontent’ Break !     This will surely give new Coach, Harun Bektas, time to ponder the 2^nd half of the season and it doesn’t get any harder than an opening away match against Galata....spit....saray on 20 January 2019 !      It should also be mentioned that Djedje and El-Kabir will have left for pastures new, so who is going to lead the line is anyone’s guess, and before you say it ............... I will .............. NOT Ilhan Parlak pleeeeeeeeez !!!

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2019 to all our readers !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIGLIGI FOLLOW ANKARAGUCU AND EXIT THE TURKISH CUP !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Gencler can have no complaints about losing to the ‘underdogs’ this afternoon in Hatay after a professional display by Hatayspor in the 2^nd Leg.   (Aggregate Score – Hatay 3   Gencler  2).   Gencler can now focus their attention on returning to the Super League as champions !

Team – Emrullah, Bady, Emre, Canberk, Boz, Ibrahim, Arnason, Matei, Bekir, Paraiba and Berisberk

Hatayspor       2                  GENCLERBIRLIGI      0

Gencler had only two chances to open the scoring before Hatay struck their opening goal.   Firstly, Paraiba had a shot smothered by the goalkeeper and secondly Canberk missed by a whisker to connect with a Matei cross.

The goal of the match arrived in the 36^th minute when the left full back, Yasin, skipped round a challenge on the left and crossed for Sinan to power in a header to the top left and out of reach of the despairing hands of Emrullah.

The 2^nd half was only a few minutes old when Huseyin received a pass in the centre just outside the penalty box, outstripped two Gencler defenders, and slotted the ball inside the right post with Emrullah unable to retrieve the situation.

Hatay had their tails up and were chasing everything and giving the Gencler players no time to settle on the ball.   Gencler was confined for most of the 2^nd half to shooting from long range and Hatay was well in control.

6 minutes of time added on was played and Hatay was content to boot the ball anywhere to run the clock down.   They can be well pleased with their performance today and I hope they (and Bodrumspor) receive a favourable draw in the next round of the Cup for their well deserved victories in this round.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ankaragucu vs Goztepe match preview!

Bayram Bektas will take control of his first match as Ankaragucu manager against the team who sacked him 2 weeks ago. The former Goztepe boss will be looking to put one over his former side and give Ankaragucu a much needed boost going into the winter break.

Yet again Ankaragucu will have to play a home match 4 hours outside of Ankara as the match will be played at the Kadir Has in Kayseri. The way Ankaragucu have been treated by the Municipal over the years should never be forgotten. The Yenikent pitch again isn't fit for purpose which is the responsibility of the Municipal. Its embarrassing for them, and also Turkish Football that they cant even keep a football pitch in half decent condition.

Mehmet Yiginer spoke to the media yesterday and stated that when he held discussions with Bayram Bektas he addressed the concerns of Ankaragucu being bottom of the league in terms of distance covered per game, goals scored and the amount of injuries the team has had. He also said that the club will look to bring in 3-4 new players in the January transfer window.

The first thing that Bektas will need to address as he takes over, is shoring up the defence again and making Ankaragucu difficult to beat. Alihan, Kone and Thomas have all under performed when on the pitch. Some of the goals we have given away is what you would expect to see at junior level.

Its no coincidence that since Djedje has moved from midfield to right back, the team hasnt looked the same. Obviously this is due Erdem being out injured. Djedje needs to be moved back into the middle of the park with Faty, and someone else can play at right back while Erdem is out.

Kubilay is also not giving enough with only 1 goal since his loan move from Bursaspor. We need to create more chances for him, but he also needs to offer more. There is also an opportunity for Cerci to step up and play. There is no doubting that he is the most talented player in the team and we need him if we are going to survive this relegation fight. The same can be said for Mokhtar, both talented players but we havent seen enough for them. Can Bayram Bektas be the one who brings the best out in both players?

Goztepe are on a similar run to Ankaragucu and lie one place blow in the league and one point behind. They have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 Super Lig games and haven't won a game in that spell. Like Ankaragucu, they have also had some excellent results this season beating Fenerbahce, Besiktas, Trabzonspor and Konyaspor. They seem to save their best performances for the big games, and struggle against the teams at the lower end of the table.

The game is set up nicely for Saturday, two rival clubs both stepped in history and tradition with a fantastic loyal fans base. Two clubs fighting against relegation, and Bayram Bektas facing the team who sacked him. Lets hop its Ankaragucu fans who are celebrating at the end of the game!

Bayram Bektas appointed new Ankaragucu manager!

Ankaragucu have moved swiftly to replace Ismail Kartal with the appointment of former Goztepe manager Bayram Bektas on a 1.5 year deal. Bayram is reported to have held talks with the club in the past but couldn't come to an agreement. Ankaragucu finally got their man and we look forward to seeing what he can bring to the team and if he can get the season back on track.

Although a highly rated young manager, his CV doesnt exactly fill you with confidence as he has had 5 jobs in his career to date, with all of them ending less than a season for different reasons. Appointed manager of Goztepe in the summer, he was sacked early December after a run of poor performances and results which see Goztepe also in a relegation battle.

Lets hop Bayram can find more success at Ankaragucu and keeping the club in the Super Lig is all that the fans can ask for at this stage.

ANKARAGUCU PAY THE PRICE OF THEIR PROFLIGACY IN THE 1st LEG !!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Ankaragucu made an ignominious exit from the Turkish Cup today in Ankara after losing 5-6 on aggregate.   In 180 minutes they showed only what they are capable of for 45 minutes in the 2^nd half today !

This result cannot be classed as a ‘Cup Fluke’ either.   Bodrum took their chances in the 1^st Leg in Bodrum and in the 1^st half today and fully deserve their moment of glory.   I sincerely hope they make it all the way to the final !!!

As for today, particulary in the 1^st half, this must rank as the worst Ankaragucu performance I’ve ever had the misfortune to watch.   Bodrum were first to the ball, winning most of the tackles and 50.50 balls.   Ankaragucu was clueless and the defence is a shambles ......... uneffinbelievable at times !!!    However, at least their heads didn’t go down and they made the last 10 minutes of the match a nail-biting finale !

ANKARAGUCU     3           Bodrumspor      2

Team – Korcan, Erdem S, Alihan, Heurtaux, Mehmet S, Faty, Mahmut, Cerci, Mokhtar, Kubilay and Kehinde.

Substitutes – El-Kabir, Ilhan and Sedat

There were a few near things before Ankaragucu finally opened the scoring.   Kubilay had a fierce shot well saved and Mokhtar should have done better with his effort on the 15 minute mark.    The breakthrough finally arrived after 22 minutes when Kehinde was pushed from behind in the box while trying to cross the ball.   Cerci took responsibility for the penalty and scored with a shot to the right with the goalkeeper guessing the wrong direction.

                                                                 

Will the floodgates now open and Ankaragucu put the match to bed I was thinking ?     Ahemmmm ...... cough cough ........... NO !

6 minutes later it was 1-1 after a poor clearance by Korcan wasn’t dealt with and the ball was played out to the left and swung into the right where Cem was allowed total freedom to slot it in with Mahmut in his wake caught out of position.

It was almost another for Bodrum on the half hour mark when the ball was finally cleared for a corner with the Ankaragucu defence all at sea !

However, it only took another 4 minutes for Bodrum to score their 2^nd when Orhan, with THREE defenders around him, struck an excellent shot to Korcan’s left giving him no chance.

Bodrum almost made it 3 just before the half time whistle but the ball was scrambled back to Korcan with a deflection.

Ankaragucu started the 2^nd half with more purpose, but Bodrum was still looking dangerous on the break and I felt the Ankaragucu defence still had the jitters !

Cerci, who had an excellent match today, almost scored the equaliser in the 60^th minute when he received a headed pass from Kehinde, but his shot hit the post and was cleared.

From the goalkeeper’s clearance, Bodrum almost scored when they broke at speed cutting holes in the Ankaragucu defence but the final shot went narrowly past the post.

Cerci was causing the Bodrum defence on the left lots of problems and he almost scored 2 minutes later when his shot on the right went past the left post.   Then one minute later he crossed for Kehinde to head just over.

One minute later, and after Mehmet gave the ball away needlessly, Korcan had to be smart to save after another Bodrum breakaway.

I have to say that the Ankaragucu equaliser came as a surprise with the match raging from end to end, but what a goal it was.   Faty crossed from the right and Kehinde met it and powered in a shot with the goalkeeper grasping air.

I still didn’t hold out much hope at this stage of the match, but then 3 minutes later with 15 minutes remaining came the goal to set the stage for a rousing finale.   Ilhan was brought down unceremoniously in the box and Cerci fired in another perfect penalty to the left.

It was all Ankaragucu now with Bodrum hanging on to their one goal lead like grim death.   El-Kabir almost found the goal when his shot was only parried by the goalkeeper and it flopped just past the post for a corner.

Into the last minute and from a Cerci free kick on the right, Faty headed over when well placed to score.   Then in time added on, Sedat blasted over when ideally placed to score.

So, like I said at the beginning, all credit to Bodrum for seeing out the two legs and taking their chances in the 1^st leg in Bodrum.    Ankaragucu can have no complaints about their exit from the Cup !

What now ????

Back to the drawing board for the temporary Coach to try and salvage something from the league match on Saturday against Goztepe.    I don’t envy his task !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ismail Kartal sacked after thumping in Sivas!

In the ten years of following Ankaragücü I’ve always said there is no truer statement to describe the club than, trouble is just around the corner. Just over a month ago after a stunning win at Fenerbahce and home wins against Yeni Malatyaspor and Kayserispor we were all dreaming of Europe. Now after another defeat at the weekend and now managerless, the future of Ankaragücü is again uncertain and worrying.

Team - Altay, Erdem, Yalcin, Kone, Mehmet, Sedat, Putsila, Faty, Ilhan, Bifouma, El Kabir

Subs - Korcan, Kaan, Alihan, Heurtaux, Erdem Sen, Mokhtar, Cerci, Mahmut, Kubilay, Kehinde

If you are Alessio Cerci or Youness Mokhtar you should be taking a long hard look at yourself and wonder why the likes of Anton Putsila and Ilhan Parlak are playing ahead of you in the team. With Ankaragücü already without Moulin, Djedje, Thiago, Kenan and Erdem having to go off with Yalcin injured, we should be able to rely on these two players. The talent isn’t in question but like previous clubs have found the attitudes of Mokhtar and Cerci are being questioned.

As soon as the team was announced I didn’t hold out much hope for Ankaragücü. Too many players missing, and then both Cerci and Mokhtar on the bench leaves you short of quality in the staring line up. Sadly I wasn’t wrong and Sivasspor took advantage with a thumping 4-0 win.

Ankaragücü looked to be heading for half time all level but for a 2 minute spell of sheer madness from the defence. Firstly Robinho scored from the penalty spot after a poor challenge from Alihan in the box. A minute later a poor kick out from Altay and a mistake from Kone gifted Muhammet Demir a chance which he converted to make it 2-0.

The second half didn’t get any better and goals from the brilliant Emre Kilinc and Robinho sealed a 4-0 victory for Sivasspor.

The drama didn’t end there, after the match İsmail Kartal revealed that he was struggling to motivate the players as they hadn’t been paid in 6 months. He then challenged the management to find the money or resign. An hour later Ankaragücü announced on the official website that they had sacked İsmail Kartal.

Mehmet Yiginer tonight said that they had a meeting earlier this week with the technical team and that Ankaragücü team was bottom of the league in distance covered, possession percentage and had only scored 1 goal in 4 games. That coupled with the result against Bodrumspor.

Some Ankaragücü fans have called for the resignation of the management team as they sympathise with the difficult job İsmail Kartal has if players aren’t being paid. 

The next couple of days will be interesting to see who Ankaragücü appoint and the January transfer window will also be interesting as the club are now in a relegations dog fight.

GENCLERBIRLIGI SEE RED, BUT ARE NOT DERAILED !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Genclerbirligi maintained their 5 points cushion at the top of the League after escaping from Denizli last weekend with a point.   According to reports, 2^nd placed Denizli was unlucky not to win the match, but the fact remains that Gencler remain on course to go into the winter break on top of the league where they have been since day one !

Gencler left it late yesterday in Eskisehir after seeing RED in the first half.   A goal just before the final whistle by Ahmet Oguz was enough to take all 3 points.

GENCLERBIRLIGI     2                Gazisehir       1

Team – Hakan, Ahmet Oguz, Luccas, Yildirim Mert, Alper, Selcuk Sahin, Yasin, Sessegnon, Deniz,  Nobre and Nadir

Substitutes – Bekir and Jailton

Yasin received his marching-orders in the 23^rd minute which would normally leave a team with a mountain to climb.   However, Nadir put Gencler ahead on the half hour mark before Gazi equalised shortly after the re-start in the 2^nd half.

Then with the match heading for a draw, Ahmet snatched the winning goal as time added on approached.

Denizli managed a 3-2 away win at bottom club Karabuk, so the 5 points gap remains intact.

Next Sunday Gencler face another formidable challenge when they travel to 7^th placed Adana Demirspor.   Returning from Adana with all 3 points will be viewed in awe by the chasing pack.

Well done Gencler !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Sivasspor vs Ankaragucu match preview!

The last couple of league games for Ankaragucu have been against two of the leagues best sides in Basaksehir and Besiktas. Unfortunately both teams were to strong for Ankaragucu and the team from the Turkish Capital came away with 0 points. With injuries and suspensions mounting up for Ankaragucu they faced almost impossible tasks of taking anything from those games.

This Saturday afternoon however, is a huge game as its against another side who are on form but a team that Ankaragucu are certainly capable of beating. Sivasspor are the hosts in what will be a cold December afternoon.

One of the darkest moments in Ankaragucu history was in January 2012, the season the club were relegated to PTT Lig. The Ankaragucu team travellend to Sivas in the snow, players hadnt been paid wages and the fans had to buy water and food for the players. The team lost 3-0 but the fans respected the players for giving everything in the most difficult of times.

Fortunately things are looking more positive for Ankaragucu, although still facing financial problems, the team has enough quality to come back to Ankara with a positive result.

Sivasspor are on a run of 5 games without a defeat which include fantastic wins over Basaksehir and Besiktas. Another win last weekend against Goztepe saw Sivas move 1 point ahead of Ankaragucu in the League table.

Sivas are an experienced side and their key player is the former Real Madrid and AC Milan playmaker Robinho. The former Brazilian International is in Turkey under contraversial circumstances. He was sentenced to jail for 10 years after an Italian court found him guilty of rape. At the time of the sentencing Robinho was in Brazil and under Brazilian law Brazilian nationals cant be extradited by foreign countries. Therefor the only way he will serve his punishment is if he voluntarily goes back to Italy. Disgraceful that any club would sign this type of person, and he finds himself playing for Sivas.

Muhammet Demir and Arouna Kone are also dangerous players in attack for Sivas and although not prolific they are still capable of hurting teams as was the case against Basaksehir and Besiktas.

Ankaragucu will be hoping that Thievy Bifouma will return against his former club and El Kabir who both trained this week with the rest of the squad. Bifouma, El Kabir and Erdem have all been missed badly by Ankaragucu and Ismail Kartal will be hoping he can call on them at the weekend.

Ankaragucu havent won in their last 5 competitive games and will be hoping they can turn that around this weekend. One player who has impressed during this barn spell for Ankaragucu is 20 year old Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. Two man of the match performances in the last couple of games has saw him win the plaudits of the Ankaragucu fans, media and even other Turkish football fans. He will be called upon again at the weekend and if he keeps performing at this level he could be the next Ankaragucu academy that gains the interest of other Turkish Clubs.

Jim will have all the usual details of where the Kanka group will be watching the game on Saturday and i will have the match report up after the game.

ANKARAGUCU’S ‘SECRET WEAPON’ PREVENTS A HUMILIATION !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

With that performance last night, don’t be surprised if Altay made ‘the gloves’ his own and is the first name on Ismail Bey’s team sheet !

It was an outstanding match for the young Ankaragucu shot-stopper who made countless saves to at least give Ankaragucu hope of salvaging a point.   However, there can be no denying that Basak was a class above Ankaragucu and there can be no excuses made for the absence of El-Kabir and Bifouma.     Basak fully deserved all 3 points and it would have been a more emphatic score-line had it not been for Altay’s heroics between the sticks !

ANKARAGUCU     0              Basaksehir         1

Team – Altay, Djedje, Yalcin, Kone, Pinto, Moulin, Faty, Cerci, Ilhan, Mokhtar and Kubilay

Substitutes used – Putsila and Kehinde

The New Eryaman Stadium is still not ready, and the Osmanli Stadium pitch is below standard, so the match was played miles away in Afyon.    Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I watched the match in The Anasson Bar and were amazed at the large numbers of Ankaragucu fans who had made the journey to Afyon.    Also, they didn’t stop singing and encouraging the players throughout.

Ankaragucu could easily have been one-up direct from the kick-off, when Cerci sent a teasing ball forward.    An Ankaragucu player, surrounded by others managed to get the first touch, but his shot was well over.   We couldn’t see who made the shot in the melee of players !

That was about it from Ankaragucu, apart from a shot from Cerci as half time approached which went just past the post.

It was mainly all Basak with some stout defending from Ankaragucu, but there was little the defence or Altay could do to prevent the winning goal which arrived early in the match in the 7^th minute.

A free kick on the right was swung over to the left for the classic cut-back to Edin in the centre of the box who fired in a real bullet of a shot.    Altay looked to have it covered, but it took a wicked slight deflection off Yalcin and deceived Altay for a fortuitous goal.

We heard the Bursaspor song being sung in the 16^th minute !!

For the remainder of the first half, it was all about Altay –

24^th minute – he got down smartly to save a deflected shot on the goal-line.

27^th minute – he made a diving save to smother a certain goal.

30^th minute – he plucked out a cross intended for a player on the back post.

45^th minute – he cut-out a cross with an attacker lurking behind him.

So, the half time whistle was a welcome respite for the players and ............ us !!!

It was basically more of the same in the 2^nd half from Altay –

48^th minute – he got down low to save at the post.

55^th minute – he saved a shot from the left for a corner.

63^rd minute – he saved a certain goal in the top centre for a corner.

So, a chastening experience for Ankaragucu against a team at the top of their game and 7 points clear at the top of the league !

A huge well-done to the Ankaragucu defence, especially Altay, of course, and also to Pinto and Djedje for their backs against the wall efforts and also their efforts to try and probe forward.     At one point in the 2^nd half the Basak possession flashed up on the screen and it was a whopping 71% !      OK, possession doesn’t win matches, but it generally gives a reflection on which team is in the ascendancy !

So, Ankaragucu continue their slide down the league table to 10^th and with another difficult match next Saturday against in-form Sivas, there will be no respite.    Hopefully our front two will be back in the line-up and all fired-up to score some goals.

A win is badly needed to consolidate mid-table safety and to boost morale !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ankaragucu vs Basaksehir match preview!

Ankaragucu host leaders Basaksehir on Monday night as they look to bounce back after a disappointing 4-2 defeat at Bodrumspor in the Cup midweek. Its 4 games since Ankaragucu have won a game and they dont come tougher than Basaksehir. The team will take some encouragement that Sivasspor went to Basaksehir last week and won 2-1.

Ismail Kartal has almost a full squad to chose from with players returning from injury and suspension. The likes of Moulin, Hertauex, Bifouma, Mokhtar and Faty are all back in contention for a place in the starting line up.

Ankaragucu again will have to play this home tie in Afyon as they Yenikent pitch is still unplayable so the TFF have decided to send Ankaragucu 4 hours away to play another home game. Baring in mind the game is on a Monday night, the expectations for Ankaragucu fans to travel that distance in December is ridiculous.

The midweek game was an opportunity for some of the Ankaragucu fringe players to impress and make their case for a place in the starting line up. Unfortunately none of them grabbed that opportunity and instead Bakary Kone showed once again that he cant be trusted and shouldnt be anywhere near the team. He gifted 2 goals to Bodrumspor a team who play in the 3rd tier of Turkish football. Alessio Cerci again showed flashes of his ability but its almost as if he has come to Ankaragucu for an easy life.

Basaksehir are 4 points clear at the top and have quality all over the pitch. Edin Visca in particular is their key player who makes things happen. He can create and score goals and will be the dangerman pulling the strings in midfield. They also have Emmanuel Adebayor up front who has only scored 2 goals this season but still a danger in attack. At the back Basaksehir have the best defensive record in the Super Lig having remarkably only conceded 6 goals.

Having just missed out on the title the last two seasons, this will be the best chance for Basaksehir to be champions of Turkey. They have had a settled team for the last 3-4 years and added small pieces each window. Having a settled team is certainly showing the benefits as they dont have the best individual players, but to date have the best team who work very hard for each other and are very well organised under Abdullah Avci.

Ismail Kartal will need to pick his players up from the disappointing results over the last couple of weeks and get Ankaragucu back to playing the way they were against the likes of Fenerbahce and Kayserispor. Attacking play with quick wing play and hard work in the middle of the park. Hopefully we see the return of Bifouma, Erdem and Kenan as there presence has been missed.

Jim will have the report on Tuesday morning and will post the meeting instructions for the game.

ANKARAGUCU ENCOUNTER AN AEGEAN SEA STORM !!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

There can be no excuses for Ankaragucu’s 2^nd half capitulation to the ‘amateurs’ of Bodrumspor today in the Turkish Cup 5^th Round match 1^st Leg.    Nor should Ankaragucu point to the fact that some first team regulars were missing.

Kone had a shocker of a match and gifted two goals to Bodrum, but having said that, they thoroughly deserved their moment of glory.     On this performance, I would guess that Kone has played his last match for Ankaragucu !

Bodrumspor       4              ANKARAGUCU      2

Team – Korcan, Alihan, Erman Sen, Kaan, Mehmet Sak, Ender, Mahmut, Putsila, Cerci, El-Kabir and Kehinde

Substitutes – Mohktar and Kone

The match was played in the city of Mugla due to the Bodrum Stadium being waterlogged after last week’s heavy rain storm.

Bodrum started the match brightly and it was clear from the outset that they were not over-awed by their Super League opponents.     They were chasing every ball throughout the match and refused to give Ankaragucu any time on the ball.

The first real chance of the match fell to Kehinde from a Cerci pass but he blasted his shot over.    Kehinde huffed and puffed throughout the match but in all honesty he never gave the Bodrum defence too much trouble.

Bodrum had two good chances leading up to the half hour mark, but the 1^st was saved by Korcan, and the 2^nd was missed after an excellent sweeping move from their own penalty area to the other end without the ball touching an Ankaragucu player.

Approaching half time and Kehinde made a clever reverse pass for Cerci on the right but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

All square at half time and there was no inkling of what was to come in the 2^nd half.

Ankaragucu started purposefully and Kehinde had two chances in the opening minutes to score.   Firstly, when put through by Mehmet but his shot was past the post.    Secondly, again he was put through but due to his lack of acceleration, a defender was able to dispossess him and clear for a corner.    Then Cerci had a great goal bound header saved.

I felt the break through was coming, and so it did in the 53^rd minute.   A long ball was sent into the box but two defenders missed their clearance and Mahmut was there to accept the gift and he duly slotted in to open the scoring.

I’m sure we could all be forgiven for thinking that was that.    Ankaragucu will put the sword in now.     Wrong !!!

3 minutes later and the equaliser arrived when Orhan received the ball on the left from a defensive block.  He looked up, took aim and sent a well judged angled shot into the top right hand corner with Korcan helpless.

7 minutes later Ankaragucu had the ball back in their court and again I was thinking that this was definitely the beginning of the goal rush.    Ankaragucu was awarded a free kick half way into their own half.   The ball was flighted into the Bodrum penalty area where it was met by the unmarked Alihan who powered in one of his now-famous headers giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Would Ankaragucu now put the match out of sight ?      Wrong again !!!

5 minutes later there were panic stations in the Ankaragucu penalty box from a cross on the   left and the ball was bundled in by Harun with the defence all at sea.    A needless and sloppy goal to concede !

2 minutes later and Bodrum almost went in front, but for a great reflex save from Korcan from a close range shot.

10 minutes to go to the final whistle and I had resigned myself to a share of the spoils, but then Kone decided to spoil the party.    He needlessly gave the ball away when under no pressure and the Bodrum attacker must have shouted ‘thank you Kone’ as he left him for dead.   He crossed to the unmarked Emre in the centre of the box who fired in a bullet of a shot to give Korcan no chance !

There didn’t seem any way back for Ankaragucu, but who would have bet on Bodrum thrusting the knife in one more time.     

5 minutes to go and an innocuous cross was sent over from the right wing and there was Celal to head in at the far post with Kone beside him admiring his heading ability.     Aaaaargh, Kone should have been watching the flight of the ball and could easily have cut it out !!!

It was a lamentable 2^nd half performance from Ankaragucu against a team of ‘amateurs’ (no disrespect to Bodrumspor intended).     Ankaragucu now has a mountain to climb in the 2^nd Leg on 18 December to make further progress in the Turkish Cup.    In all honesty, I am doubtful if they will be able to do it !

In the meantime, Ankaragucu has only 3 days to prepare for the league match against top of the league Basaksehir.     Let’s hope the ‘regulars’ are fit and able to play, ie, Pinto, Djedje, Heurtaux, Erdem O, Yalcin, Faty, Bifouma and Kubilay.      We do not need or want to see another performance like this one today !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Bodrumspor vs Ankaragucu match preview!

Bodrumspor will be looking for their 2nd Super Lig scalp and to cause another upset in the Turkish Cup this Thursday as they host Ankaragucu in the first leg of the tie. The game will be played in Mugla due to problems with the Bodrumspor pitch after flooding.

Bodrum is more known for its beaches and holiday resorts than it is for football, but the Lig 2 side have big ambitions to play at a higher level and firmly put themselves on the map of Turkish football. A brilliant 2-1 win over Sivasspor in the last round raised a few eyebrows and they now have Ankaragucu in their way of a place in the next round of the Cup.

Two poor results of late see them sit just outside the playoff positions in Lig 2. A 5-2 home defeat against Sakaryaspor, and 3-0 defeat at Amed Spor will be a bit of a concern for their manager Engin Ipekoglu especially conceding 8 goals in 2 games.

The match against Bodrumspor will be another opportunity for Ankaragucu fringe players such as Younes Mokhtar, Ilhan Parlak and Alessio Cerci to impress and stake a claim for a place back in the starting line up. It will be interesting to see how Ismail Kartal lines up in this match with the game against Basaksehir coming up on Monday.

The Turkish Cup is an opportunity for Ankaragucu to win silverware and qualify for Europe, but at the same time we have already seen how bare this Ankaragucu squad is. A few more injuries to key players could play a big part in the teams fight for survival in the Super Lig.

Ankaragucu were lucky to come away from the Rizespor match with a draw, and the absence of the likes of Erdem, Faty, Bifouma and Kenan were a big loss for the team. The good news is that Moulin and Heurtaux are both back fit and in contention for a place in the team again. The Frenchmen have struggled with injury since coming in but now seem to be over the worst and will play a big part in helping the team avoid relegation.

The game will be played at 1pm Turkish Time and is live on A Spor. We look forward to another Ankaragucu victory down in the Turkish coast and one of Jims favorite places!

GENCLERBIRLIGI SHOW NO MERCY !!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Spare a thought for bottom Club Karabuk languishing at the bottom of the League on Minus 2 points after 14 matches played !!

They were unfortunate to catch Gencler in a ruthless frame of mind last Saturday, as Gencler recovered from two consecutive defeats to go on a goal spree !

GENCLERBIRLIGI      6          Karabuk    0

It’s not only Ankaragucu who must travel out of the city for their home matches these days.   Gencler has now suffered the same ignominy when the TFF sent them to Eskisehir due to the poor condition of the Osmanli Stadium pitch in Yenikent.    There is still no news about the New Eryaman Stadium concerning its state of readiness.      It goes without saying therefore that the sooner its ready the better !

Among Gencler’s scorers were Nadir Ciftci, Deniz Yilmaz and Stephan Sessegnon.   So, Gencler remain on top of the league 5 points clear of Denizli in 2^nd.   However, both teams will meet each other next Sunday in Denizli in what is sure to be a closely fought encounter.

Prior to that though, there is the small matter of a Turkish Cup match to negotiate when Gencler play host to Hatayspor at the Osmanli Stadium tomorrow (4 December).   I’ll put the result of that match in the comments section of this report on Wednesday.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – THE ESCAPOLOGISTS FROM TEA COUNTRY !!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

It wasn’t really a ‘game of two halves’ even allowing for the fact that Ankaragucu went in at half time in the lead.    It was mostly all Rize pressure on the Ankaragucu goal, but thanks to Man of the Match, Altay, Ankaragucu escaped from the ‘Tea Party’ with one point.   The defence also stood tall on the many occasions when Rize threatened and special mention here for Pinto, Yalcin and Djedje for their heroics in restricting Rize to only one goal.

It was also fortunate for Ankaragucu that the Rize strikers were on strike, because their build-up football had the Ankaragucu defence in panic mode sometimes.   Their football belies their league position with only one win in 14 league matches.    However, on this performance Rize will surely climb out of the relegation zone before the end of the season.

Rizespor        1                     ANKARAGUCU       1

Team – Altay, Djedje, Yalcin, Kone, Pinto, Moulin, Sedat, Cerci, El-Kabir, Ilhan and Kubilay (surprisingly Korcan was named as substitute.    However, Altay once again proved his worth and is fast becoming a rising star in the team).

The kankas met-up at The Anasson Bar.   Maniac Kanka Harun, Nurer Kanka, Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and Kenan Kenan Kanka.     The place was full with not a Rize supporter in sight !!

It was Rize who started the match like a train and were looking up for it.   They took the match to Ankaragucu for the first 20 until Ankaragucu scored against the run of play.

El-Kabir received a pass on the left and drove into the box.    He crossed to the far post to Ilhan who returned the ball to El-Kabir who had continued his run expecting the return pass.   When it came, he slotted in to send us all wild.

Was this the turning point in the match ?     The simple answer ......... no !

Rize continued to press forward searching for the equaliser and it took great defending from Altay, Yalcin and Djede to keep them at bay until the half time whistle brought some much needed relief.

Ankaragucu did have one further chance 5 minutes before the break when from a Moulin free kick, El-Kabir’s header was well saved.

The optimistic kankas going in at half time 1-0 up and hoping for a victoreeee and all 3 points !!

Rize began the 2^nd half as they finished the 1^st with all out attack and it took Altay with some great saves to keep the score at 1-0.  

It took until the 60^th minute for Ankaragucu to make inroads on the Rize goal when Pinto had a great goalbound shot saved.

However, the inevitable equaliser came 6 minutes later with a real peach of a goal which had skill written all over it.   Some nice football just outside the  penalty box, a chipped weighted pass to Umar who was sandwiched between THREE Ankaragucu defenders, but still managed to bring the ball under control and score inside the left post with Altay helpless.   A goal to savour, especially for the Rize fans !

Still Rize continued to press forward and Altay came to the rescue yet again with 75 minutes gone.    At this stage of the match I was settling for a draw with play going in one direction, ie, towards Altay !

Then a mistake by Djedje with only 10 minutes to go when the referee decided that he impeded a Rize forward inside the box.    It could be argued that the Rize forward made a meal of it, but the experienced Firat Bey was adamant and so the inevitable penalty.

Once again it was Altay to the rescue when he guessed correct and dived to the left to parry the penalty.    A Rize attacker pounced on the rebound but his shot went past the opposite post and out.     Relief all round !

Almost on the final whistle and Altay saved another shot from outside the box, and with the last kick of the match Kehinde’s shot was just past the post.

So, as you can gather from the above report, it was a fortunate point for Ankaragucu, but all credit to the team for not capitulating while under pressure for most of the match.

The next match will be the home match against league leaders Basaksehir on Monday 10 December KO 8pm.   Venue unknown at the moment, but watch this space for the answer in either Nadeem’s preview or in the comments section of this report.

This match will be a true test of Ankaragucu’s credentials against a team in fine form and going well at the moment.    They could quite possibly be 8 points clear at the top of the league after this weekend’s results.

However, as we know as Ankaragucu supporters, we can never discount this team of ours !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim