GENCLERBIRLIGI – PRESSURE EASING !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Genclerbirligi can sleep easy, at least until next Sunday after the pressure finally told on Denizlispor !

Denizli slipped-up at home last Sunday against mid-table Balikesir and could only manage a 0-0 draw.

Gencler, on the other hand, took full advantage last night and, as expected, beat bottom club Karabuk 4-0.

So, again Gencler has daylight at the top and move 4 points ahead of Denizli with a one goal superior goal difference.

However, its not done and dusted yet with ‘the big one’ coming up next Sunday night when the top 2 meet head-to-head in Ankara.   All the pressure is on Denizli who must come and attack looking to take all 3 points, which may give Gencler the chance to exploit spaces in the Denizli defence.

Only 3 matches left, so this is a golden opportunity for Gencler to return to the Super League as Championship Champions.

As always, watch this space next week for the outcome.

Haydi Gencler !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU, AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

This is a photo of the kankas celebrating Ankaragucu’s return to the Super League at The Alerta Bar last year around this time after spending ‘a few years’ in the Championship and 2^nd Division (the reasons for that are well documented in this Blog !!).

Ankaragucu’s plan therefore was to ensure that this season was one of consolidation, and apart from a few blips earlier this season, it seems that it is still possible, despite a heavy defeat in Istanbul last night.

It was a cruel score line which doesn’t accurately reflect the match.   The Besiktas goalkeeper, Karius, was in superb form and saved Besiktas blushes on numerous occasions, especially in the 1^st half.   Also, the referee awarded Besiktas a dubious penalty at a crucial stage of the match leaving Ankaragucu with a mountain to climb.

I’m not saying that Besiktas was lucky to win the match because they took their chances well, and they are sure to give Galata.....spit....saray a difficult match next weekend as they seek Champions League qualification.

Besiktas        4              ANKARAGUCU       1

Team – Altay, Kulusic, Kitsiou, Pinto, Pazdan, Moke, Sacko, Sedat, Canteros, Boyd and Orgill

Substitutes – Moulin, Alihan and Ilhan

The kankas, Posh Kanka Ahmet, Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I met-up at last year’s venue, The Alerta Bar, where we had the screen to ourselves more-or-less.

There was a poignant one minute silence prior to the kick off when everyone was protesting against Child Molestation in Turkey.   This arose out of a recent incident when a 5 year old girl was raped in Istanbul by an immigrant from Pakistan.   Sad days indeed when this occurs, and not only in Turkey !

So to the footie and Ankaragucu made a confident start when Orgill tested Karius only 5 minutes in, but he saved well.

3 minutes later and an opportunist goal from Burak when he collected a pass on the left, and with the Ankaragucu defence back-pedalling, he only had Kitsiou to beat which he did easily.   He then fired in a thunderous shot to the near post which Altay had no chance of saving.

Ankaragucu heads didn’t go down.   On the contrary, they were playing some excellent footie and stroking the ball around and making Besiktas work for the ball, but falling short in the final 3^rd.

15 minutes in and Sacko had a shot on goal which took an unlucky deflection for a corner.

Half an hour in and what was probably the save of the match.   A corner was sent in by Canteros and met perfectly by Pazdan whose header was destined for the top corner.   However, somehow Karius flew to the left and tipped the ball over for a corner.   An amazing piece of goalkeeping.

3 minutes later and he produced a similar acrobatic save to prevent Sedat’s goalbound shot going in to the same top corner.     A further 3 minutes and Canteros had a chance to score but he shot tamely at Karius.

So, it was disappointing to go in at half time 0-1 down but great goalkeeping and Ankaragucu’s old problem of giving the ball away too easy in the final 3^rd was their downfall.   We were still optimistic at this point though !

Into the 2^nd half and it was Besiktas who started the more purposeful and Altay was called into action after 5 minutes to save from a fast Besiktas breakaway.

3 minutes laster and some sloppy play from Canteros when he was dispossessed easily in midfield which allowed a dangerous attack, but Altay saved bravely, but could only parry the ball due to the power of the shot, and it fell conveniently for Vida who tapped into the unprotected goal.   A cruel blow for Altay.

7 minutes later and Besiktas received another lucky break when the referee awarded a dubious penalty when he decided that an attacker was pushed in the box.   We had the luxury of a replay and I’m surprised that he didn’t go to the VAR because it looked very much like he fell before the tackle came in.   Anyway, up stepped Burak who dispatched the perfect shot into the left corner which evaded Altay’s outstretched arm.

Still Ankaragucu’s heads didn’t go down and they came forward again looking for a foothold into the match and it almost came in the 70^th minute from a Canteros free kick which was met perfectly by Alihan who sent a bullet of a header goalbound, but again Karius pulled off a remarkable save to exasperate us all !

However, the elusive goal came 4 minutes later when the referee awarded a penalty against a Besiktas defender for elbowing the ball away from Pazdan

Boyd took responsibility and sent a weak shot to Karius who parried the ball and the follow-up was past the post and out.   This time the referee did respond to complaints and consulted his VAR which showed clearly that some Besiktas players had encroached into the area prior to the ball being struck.

Another penalty was his decision and this time Sacko took responsibility sending Karius the wrong way.

If we were looking for an all-out assault on the Besiktas goal we were disappointed four minutes later when Besiktas ‘put the match to bed’.   A fast passing move on the left between 3 players allowed Ljajic to send in a screamer which Altay was helpless to do anything about.

5 minutes to go and Ankaragucu still attempted to attack and snatch another consolation goal, but their final attempt hit the post and was cleared.

As I said at the beginning, it was cruel to have to much of the ball and to find a goalkeeper at the top of this game, but as always, the bottom line is ........... putting the round thing between the sticks is what counts and Besiktas took their chances in that department !

So, with 4 matches left, Ankaragucu is only 6 points ahead of 3^rd bottom Bursa and therefore can’t afford to relax their endeavours in the run-in.

Ankaragucu will be at home next Saturday KO 4pm against 7^th placed Rize and they can expect another tough test against a stingy and stubborn Rize side who have fought out 12 draws this season.

It will certainly be a ferocious scrap in the run-in with no team certain for relegation at this stage.

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Besiktas vs Ankaragücü match preview!

Ankaragücü travel to Istanbul this weekend as they take on an in form Besiktas who were handed another boost tonight as Goztepe won 2-0 at leaders Basaksehir who are doing their best to throw the league title away. The result also puts some more pressure on Ankaragücü to take something from the game as Goztepe have pulled off a big upset and have given themselves a fighting chance.

Besiktas are undefeated in 14 games since the return of the January break and go go within 3 points of Basaksehir with a win on Sunday. An incredible turn around for the Istanbul side who looked out of the title race back in December. Since Senol Gunes announced that he will be leaving at the end of the season to take over the National team, Besiktas have been the form team in the Super Lig.

Having watched a lot of Turkish football this season, Besiktas and Trabzonspor are the two most exciting teams to watch in terms of attacking football. They have so many talented technical players such as Lajic, Quaresma, Kagawa and Ozyakup who can create chances for Burak Yilmaz who has been a fantastic signing for them scoring 9 goals in 11 games.

The last time the two sides met Besiktas thumped Ankaragücü 4-1 in Kayseri where the game was moved due to the pitch at Yenikent. Sunday’s game will be even tougher and Mustafa Kaplan will need to change his game plan if he wants to take any points back to the Capital.

Mustafa Kaplan has been pretty consistent with his team line ups with the 4-3-3 formation since January and its worked with the team losing only 1 game in their last 9. Kaplan likes the team to play football and build from the back, but Sunday’s game he will need to look at a more conservative approach. Bringing Moulin or Moke in for Sacko might be a better option having an extra man in midfield as Besiktas will look to get men forward and exploit any gaps across the pitch.

Tyler Boyd has been excellent for Ankaragücü since signing in January but was kept quiet by a solid Konyaspor side last week as was Orgill. Both of them will be key to Ankaragücü taking anything from the game and will need to be clinical with any chances that come their way.

A lot has been said about the attacking play of Ankaragücü in particular Orgill and Boyd, but the back 5 of Altay, Kitsiou, Pazdan, Kulusic and Pinto have formed a brilliant partnership and have been the unsung hero’s. It’s easy to see why Kulusic was so highly regarded at Genclerbirligi as he is the ultimate pro and a fantastic defender. Pazdan has come over to Turkey from Poland and has settled in quickly and Ankaragücü will be hoping to sign him permanently in the Summer.

Besiktas on their day are the best side in the Super Lig going forward, but they have only kept 3 clean sheets since January and they were against struggling sides Goztepe, Bursa and Akhisar. If Ankaragücü can keep it tight at the back and nick a goal you never know, but it will be a huge ask and I would settle for a point before the game has started.

GENCLERBIRLIGI DIGGING DEEP !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Genclerbirligi kept the show on the road last Saturday with a 1-0 win at home against a difficult opponent - Istanbulspor.

Selcuk Sahin scored the vital goal half way through the 2^nd half to keep Gencler 2 points clear at the top of the Spor Toto Championship League.

As expected, 2^nd top Denizilspor is not giving up the chase and they won 3-0 away in Giresun.

Recent challenger Hatay dropped points when they could only manage a 1-1 draw away to Altay, and so drop 7 points behind Denizli.

So, with 4 matches left it looks like a two way fight between Gencler and Denizli to become League Champions.   However, the important fact is that Gencler look destined for a quick return to the Super League.

Next Monday (29 April) Gencler visit bottom club Karabuk who are already relegated and this should be a high scoring match to boost Gencler’s goal difference which is 3 less than Denizli at the moment.

Denizli host mid-table Balikesir on Sunday and should win that one.

Haydi Gencler !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU STALEMATE

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Ankaragucu spurned the opportunity to move safely into mid-table yesterday when they could only draw.   However, having said that, the point was more than some teams in the relegation zone could muster.   For example, Fener.....spit.....bahce, Goztepe and Akhisar all lost.

ANKARAGUCU     0             Konyaspor       0

   

Team – Altay, Kulusic, Pazdan, Kitsiou, Djedje, Pinto, Canteros, Sedat, Boyd, Sacko and Orgill

Substitutes – Moke, Moulin and Ilhan

As Nadeem said in a comment yesterday, the Kanka Group is falling apart with only Eski Kanka watching the match in The Anasson.   However, all credit to Ahmet and Miguel who were probably in the Stadium along with the other 10,000.

We all love to criticise and bad-mouth Ilhan from time-to-time, but I have to praise him ......for a change !     Prior to the kick-off yesterday and while awaiting the players to emerge from the tunnel, Ilhan took all the substitutes across to Gecikondu to applaud them.    A nice gesture Ilhan !

The first chance of the match fell to Orgill with the match only 7 minutes old when he received a pass on the left and bore in on goal only to hit his shot past the far post.

2 minutes later and a frantic block by THREE Ankaragucu defenders prevented a shot on goal well inside the box.

The ex-Ankaragucu goalkeeper, Serkan, made a brilliant save from Djedje’s goalbound screamer on the 15 minute mark, and it wasn’t the last time he would deny Ankaragucu.

On the half hour mark and Konya almost scored from a corner, and shortly after Altay saved from a well worked free kick which obviously came from the training ground.

Approaching half time and one player who would NOT be receiving the Man of the Match accolade was Canderos.   I lost count of the times he gave the ball away cheaply which gave Konya the opportunity to counter attack.   I had to scratch my head to find the Man of the Match and I decided to give it to Pinto for his tireless work in defence and his willingness to break forward and assist the front line.   He oozes class !

Then almost on the half time whistle there was a let-off for Ankaragucu.   A fast Konya breakaway from an Ankaragucu corner left Djedje chasing an attacker bearing down on goal, but he stumbled, allowing the attacker to cross only for the other Konya attacker to sky his shot over the bar.

Going in at half time all square was about right I suppose even though Ankaragucu had 62 per cent possession, but not much of that was in the final third !!

Ankaragucu started the 2^nd half like an express train and after 15 minutes ran out of steam and ideas.   Firstly, Orgill had a great chance when put through on the right, but his shot was in a difficult angle and it went to the wrong side of the post.   Then Sacko received a pass well inside the box to the centre and he shot weakly at Serkan.

Konya had a good chance half way through the 2^nd half when Altay made an uncharacteristic mistake by mis-kicking a clearance straight to a Konya player.   He was probably so surprised that he didn’t react quick enough allowing Altay to recover and make a save from his snatched second effort.

Pazdan was caught dithering on the ball which gave the chance of a quick break on the right, but thankfully Kulusic was quick to spot the danger and was also quick enough to make a sliding tackle to put the ball into touch.

Ankaragucu woke-up at last in the final 10 minutes to try and steal all 3 points.   First, Ilhan tried an audacious overhead kick inside the box but it wasn’t powerful enough and was easily saved by Serkan.

Moments later Ilhan again tried his luck when put through on the left but he shot weakly past the right post.

Into time-added-on and some great footwork by Pinto on the left to beat two defenders and his cut-back went straight to Kulusic, but his powerful strike went just past the post.

There was time for one last chance, but Orgill’s header from a cross from the left was saved by Serkan.

I think Konya will have been the happier of the two teams after some wayward finishing from the Ankaragucu attacks and some excellent saves by Serkan.

So, with only 5 matches left, it is still undecided which teams will be relegated.   Ankaragucu have managed to pull themselves up to 11^th on equal points with Kayseri, but are only 8 points above 3^rd bottom Erzurum.

Next Sunday will be a searching test of Ankaragucu’s resolve when they are away at Beshiktrash KO 7pm.   Beshiktrash will not be feeling generous even though they are comfortably in the Europa Cup positions, because they are still within striking distance of the top 2 teams and a place in the Champions League.

Altay and the Ankaragucu defence will no doubt be tested to their limit, but they have the ability to deal with the pressure and hopefully surprise us by returning from Istan.....spit....bul with at least one point.

Bring it on !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI IS NOT FOR FOLDING !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

The pressure is beginning to bite now, but Gencler and Denizli are not for folding .......yet !

Gencler pulled 2 points ahead of Denizli after Denizli could only draw this weekend, but Gencler kept their foot on the throttle with a penalty converted by Nadir in the 82^nd minute.

Saturday – Gencler    1         Balikesir     0

                   Denizli   0       Bolu     0

The chasing pack are also feeling the pressure, with Osman.....spit.....li in particular, losing 1-0 in Istanbul.                  

Fast improving Hatay stay in 3^rd place but are only 5 points behind Denizli.

Next weekend’s fixtures are ..........

Saturday 20 April -    Gencler  v  Istanbul

                                    Giresun  v  Denizli

Who is going to crack first ?    With only 5 matches left it is shaping-up to be a tense finish to decide who will be Champions of the Spor Toto Championship League.    With Gencler back in pole position it is now in their own hands !

Haydi Gencler !

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Kayserispor 0-2 Ankaragücü match report!

Ankaragücü moved 7 points clear of th relegation zone with a fantastic 2-0 victory at Kayserispor this afternoon. Goztepe lost 1-0 at Rizespor yesterday, while Bursa were on the wrong end of the same result at home against Trabzonspor on Friday night.

Team - Altay, Kitsiou, Kulusic, Pazdan, Pinto, Djedje, Sedat, Moulin, Sacko, Boyd, Sadaev

Subs - Korcan, Mehmet Sak, Alihan, Mahmut, Ilhan, Cebrail, Scarione, Aydin, Moke, Kaan

Zaur Sadaev came in for his full debut as he replaced the suspended Orgill, while Moulin replaced Canteros in midfield who was also suspended. 

The Kadir Has Stadium has been kind to Ankaragücü in recent years, as the team clinched promotion there 2 years ago when they beat Kayseri Erciyesspor.

Ankaragücü started the match brightly and Sadaev was put through on goal by Djedje early on but Lung came out of his goal and managed to clear. A minute later nice play from Sadaev to set up Moulin who was through on goal, but chose to pass across the face of goal and Kucher got back to make an important clearance. 

It took 11 minutes for Kayserispor to get their first chance of the game as Varela cut inside but shot into the side netting. Five minutes later a long distance effort from Chery was saved by Altay.

Tyler Boyd was starting to come into the game and he got on the end of a good cross from Sacko but his headed effort was straight at Lung. A minute later Sadaev had a good chance but he dragged his shot wide after a mistake in the box from the Kayseri defence.

On the 28th minute Sadaev played Pinto in who had a great chance but pulled his shot wide of the post when he should have done better. Both Pinto and Kitsiou were getting forward at every opportunity joining in on the attacks.

Kitsiou was almost rewarded just before half time as he burst into the box before shooting but Lung made another good save to keep the score level.

Half Time

Ange Kulusic and Michal Pazdan have formed a formidable partnership at the back and both were outstanding again today, Kulusic in particular. Making last ditch challenges and taking care of the ball. Hopefully Ankaragücü can keep hold of both for next season.

Kayserispor went close on the 60th minute though Deniz, but his free kick was brilliantly saved by Altay Bayindir who was having another good game. 

Both Keepers were having a good game, and at the other end Lung made a brilliant save from point black range as Sedat got on the end of a corner. Ten minutes later Moulin put in a great cross for Kulusic but the big Croat headed wide. 

The deadlock was broken on the 76th minute. Pinto cleared the ball from an certain goal at one end, and Ankaragücü went up the other end, as Kitsiou played the ball forward for Boyd and he lobbed the ball beautifully over Lung to make it 1-0 Ankaragücü.

Kayserispor had a couple of chances though Deniz and Chery but both efforts were from distance and went wide.

As Kayserispor looked for the equaliser, they ignored their defensive duties, and Aydin who was unmarked found Ilhan in the box who had a simple tap in and made it 2-0 sending the Ankaragücü travelling support wild.

A brilliant result for Ankaragücü who are now 12th and unbelievably only 2 points behind Malatyaspor in 5th. Next up is Konyaspor at home next Sunday.

Kayserispor vs Ankaragücü match preview!

Ankaragücü will look to take advantage of Bursaspor losing last night by taking all 3 points in another tough match at Kayserispor tomorrow afternoon. They go into the match without key players Tito Canteros and Dever Orgill who are both suspended.

The Turkish FA handed Ankaragücü a fine and will close part of the stadium for the next home match after the trouble at last weekends game against Fenerbahce. Is this a coincidence that the first punishment handed out at Eryaman is after hooligan Jim’s first trip to the new stadium?

Mustafa Kaplan was disappointed with the team sharing a point with Fenerbahce last weekend as he felt the team should have won the game. Although I admire Kaplan’s positivity I think a point was a fair result as Fenerbahce will probably feel disappointed they shared the points too.

Since taking over as manager, Kaplan has done a great job assembling a group of new players at short notice and having them play like a team that has been together for years. My only criticism is his persistence in playing Ilhan Parlak and Sedat Agcay. Both players are hard working and give their all but we have two more talented players in Thibault Moulin and Aydin Karabulut who should be given their opportunity.

Zaur Sadaev will make his full debut tomorrow as he replaces Orgill, but it remains to be seen who will replace Canteros. This week in training Ilhan and Moke both clashed and had to be separated so we will need to wait and see if there is any punishment for the two players.

Kayserispor are only 4 points ahead of Ankaragücü and come off a good 3-1 win against Sivasspor last weekend. Sivas missed many chances in that match and will be disappointed to have come away from that game without taking anything.

Deniz Turuc, Tjaronn Chery, Bernard Mensah and Bilal are all dangerous players for Kayserispor going forward but they are vulnerable at the back and this is a game Ankaragücü can win if they are at their best.

Matthew Boyd continues to impress for Ankaragücü but will be without is partner in crime Orgill who he has built up a brilliant relationship with. Sadaev came on last weekend and showed some nice touches and will be a more physical presence in attack. 

The last time the two sides met Ankaragücü won 3-1 thanks to goals from El Kabir, Faty and Kubilay. Here’s hoping for a similar result tomorrow which would take Ankaragücü further to safety in their fight against relegation.

GENCLERBIRLIGI STAY ON TRACK !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Genclerbirligi and Denizlispor continue their fight to end up as Chaampions of the Spor Toto Championship League this season.

Last Sunday Gencler played in Giresun and won 1-0, while Denizli played in Adana and won 4-3.

So, they remain locked together at the top of the league on 58 points.

The chasing pack had a bad day with 3^rd top Hatay playing out a 0-0 and Osman......spit......li losing at home to Eskisehir 2-4.

This puts the chasing pack 7 points behind Gencler and Denizli with 6 matches left to play.

Next weekend the battle continues .........

Saturday 13^th – Denizli v Bolu (9^th place)

Sunday 14^th – Gencler v Balikesir (11^th place)

Haydi Gencler !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – THE ESCAPOLOGISTS !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

It was a beautiful Spring Day on Sunday when the kankas met-up in Kizilay.    Maniac Kanka Harun and Gokhan Kanka had visited the new Eryaman Stadium previously, but for Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I it was our first visit.

   

The Metro journey took about 50 minutes to arrive at the aptly named station – Ankaragucu 1910 – which is adjacent to the Stadium.   My first impression of the exterior of the Stadium was that it looked impressive,and inside was equally impressive holding a compact 20,000 with good vision all round.   However, our opinion soon changed at the end of the match when we attempted to exit the Stadium, but more of that later.

So to the match .............

ANKARAGUCU      1                   Fenerbahce      1

Team – Altay, Kitsiou, Kulusic, Pazdan, Pinto, Djedje, Sedat, Sacko, Canteros, Boyd and Orgill

Substitutes – Moke, Ilhan and Sadaev

Fener didn’t seem overawed at the full stadium with only a small pocket of Fener fans in the corner next to us in the North Section.   They came to attack and could consider themselves unlucky to go in 1-0 down at half time.

The match was only 5 minutes old when the Fener No5 commited a horrendous foul by scything down an Ankaragucu player just outside the box which earned him a yellow card.   The resulting free kick was sent straight to a Fener defender !

5 minutes later and it was Man of the Match, Altay, to the rescue to save a goalbound shot with the Ankaragucu defence pulled out of position.

2 minutes later and a rare Ankaragucu attack, but the cross into the box was straight to a Fener defender again !

15 minutes gone and Fener won a free kick just outside the box in the centre.   The free kick was expertly taken to the top right corner and was a goal all the way until Altay miraculously saved for a corner.

Ankaragucu was trying to mount attacks but the Fener defence was solid, blocking and clearing anything which came their way.

On the half hour mark and Fener almost scored from a fast break down the right, but the shot went whizzing past the left post.

3 minutes to half time and our worried looking faces changed after the only genuine goal attempt by Ankaragucu.   A high ball was sent out of defence towards Orgill and Boyd.   It was Boyd who was first to it and he showed great composure to collect the ball on the left and bring it forward before releasing a shot to the near post which Harun probably anticipated going to the far post.

So, Ankaragucu could consider themselves fortunate going in at half time 1-0 up when they had Altay to thank for dealing with everything that came his way.

Orgill, Boyd and others were continually being outmuscled by the 3 ‘giants’ in the Fener back three.    Numbers 5, 15 and 37 have the physique of rugby players and were winning all the 50/50  balls.

Fener started the 2^nd half as they did in the 1^st half with attack after attack raining in on the Ankaragucu goal.

The match had barely resumed when Ankaragucu gifted the ball to Fener on the right.   The cross came in and should have been cleared by Kitsiou, but he missed his header and the Fener No8 had a clear shot on goal, but shot over when it was easier to score.

15 minutes in and from a corner on the left the Fener No5 rose unchallenged to send his angled header just past the post.   3 minutes later and Altay saved from a dangerous shot by the Fener No9, and one minute later he saved again at the near post from a shot on the right.

One minute later and the pressure finally paid-off when Fener found a way past Altay.   It was similar to Boyd’s opener when Hasan Ali collected the ball on the left and shot to the far post, but no blame attached to Altay who was helpless to stop it going in.

Ankaragucu was being restricted to breakaways and from a free kick outside the box on the right, the effort was just past the post on the left.

However, there was no let-up from Fener as they continued to bombard the Ankaragucu goal.   The defence was working overtime, with Pinto and Pazdan in particular clearing goalbound efforts on countless occasions as Ankaragucu tried to run the clock down and snatch a winner on the break.

Then, with only 5 minutes to go, the whole complexion of the match changed dramatically because of one incident which resulted in 2 red cards and crowd trouble.

There was an Ankaragucu player attacking on the right and an intended pass from him hit Topal in the face and he went down seemingly in pain.   The ball was picked up by Canderos, who despite shouts from the Fener defenders to kick the ball into touch, carried on and shot just over the bar.   He was then surrounded by Fener players and was pushed/struck by Ekici.   Canderos naturally retaliated and at that point all hell broke loose with officials, substitutes and players trying to restore order.

The referee then decided to look at the replay on video and returned to issue red cards to Canderos and Ekici.   This incited the throwing of missiles (bottles of water and coins) between the Fener contingent and some of the fans in our section next door to that section.   All this ‘action’ took about 5 minutes !

As Nadeem informed me today, Topal has been reported as apologising for making a meal of the ball to face incident and admitted he did it to waste time.

I was critical of Canderos for his lack of sportsmanship and it seems that, in hindsight, Topal should have been the main contender for my criticism, however, all credit to him for admitting his guilt.

So, what had been a friendly match between players and both sets of fans ended on a sour note with anger and bad mouthing on both sides.   It would therefore be a surprise if Ankaragucu doesn’t receive another ‘Stadium Ban’ !!

Time to head back to the Metro Station which from the end of the match to reaching the Station took about 45 minutes !!

It was unbelievable that this new Stadium had only ONE exit open for all the fans of the 3 tribunes, ie, ours behind one goal, Gecikondu behind the other and the whole length of Maraton.

It was chaos, and with women and children also involved in the struggle to exit it was also dangerous.   I shudder to think what might happen in the future if there is an emergency situation and this is not rectified soon !

So, I think that, on reflection, this match was a point won by Ankaragucu and all credit to the team for their never-say-die efforts, with a particular pat on the back to our great goalkeeper Altay for keeping us in the match throughout.

Ankaragucu is still too close to the relegation zone for comfort and is only 5 points above 3^rd bottom club Goztepe.    Fener have the same points as Ankaragucu, but next Sunday entertain 2^nd top Galata.....spit....saray in a crucial match for both of them.

Ankaragucu travel to Kayseri next Sunday for the early KO of 1.30pm.   I’ll be watching it in The Anasson.

To bring back all 3 points from Kayseri would go a long way to dispel our end of season nerves !!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ankaragücü vs Fenerbahce match preview!

The domestic football returns this weekend after the International break and Elections which took place last weekend. Another huge match for Ankaragücü as they host fellow strugglers Fenerbahce in a must win match for both sides as we approach the business end of the season.

Ankaragücü will be hoping to bounce back from the disappointing 3-1 defeat at Yeni Malatyaspor and the break will have allowed Mustafa Kaplan spend more time on the training ground with his group of players who have been in fantastic form since the return after the Winter break.

Ilhan Parlak and Stelios Kitsiou have both been working with the physio as they fight for fitness ahead of tomorrow’s match. Kitsiou in particular would be a big loss if he missed out. Hadi Sacko and Michal Pazdan both returned from International duty without any injury concerns and should be ready for the match.

The last time the two sides met Ankaragücü won 3-1 in Istanbul thanks to goals from Ricardo Faty, Erdem Ozgenc and El Kabir. A lot has changed since then with the Ankaragücü almost unrecognisable with the amount of changes in the team, while Fenerbahce have improved their form slightly since then and will be a much tougher test.

Fenerbahce may not have the household names of previous seasons or the financial resources they once had, but they still have a squad who are under achieving and shouldn’t find themselves in a relegation battle. Players such as Ayew, Slimani, Benzia, Valbuena, Ekici, Topal and Soldado are all good players who have had inconsistent seasons and should be performing at a higher level. 

Victor Moses has been a good addition to the team in January and will be key tomorrow along with Matheu Valbuena who may be past his best but still a quality player on his day.

Ankaragücü have played with a settled team over the last couple of months and a lot of their success has come from the brilliant Matthew Tyler Boyd and Dever Orgill. The Jamaican striker has 6 goals in his 7 games while Boyd has chipped in with 2 goals. Both have also played their part in assists and have shown exceptional work rate.

One of the unsung hero’s in the Ankaragücü side is Hector Canteros. The Argentinian has played his part in consistently creating chances, but has also led in distance covered in every game he has played. His work ethic is second to none and he will again be a big player for the team tomorrow.

Hadi Sacko will likely start tomorrow but needs to show a bit more in his play. There is no doubting his work rate but needs to show more with his final ball and finishing. Aydin Karabulut can be forgiven for feeling a bit aggrieved at the lack of chances he has been given as Kaplan continues to persist with Ilhan Parlak.

Eryaman Stadium will be full tomorrow with another’s big crowd expected and the Kanka Group will be in attendance. Please contact Jim for further details.

GENCLERBIRLIGI AND IT’S AS YOU WERE AT THE TOP !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

League footie is back after the International break .......thank God !

Genclerbirligi and Denizli still lead the way at the top of the Spor Toto Championship League with 55 points each, but Denizli are top on account of their 2 goals superior difference.

Last Tuesday (2 April) Gencler could only draw 1-1 at home against mid-table Bolu.   The following day Denizli drew 3-3 with fast improving Hatay.

So, the chasing pack haven’t given up yet with Osman.....spit....li only 4 points behind Gencler and Hatay one point further behind Osmanli.

This weekend’s fixtures are –

Saturday 6 April – Osmanli v relegation threatened Eskisehir

Sunday 7 April – Umraniye v Hatay

                             Giresun v Gencler

                              Adana v Denizli

With only 7 matches remaining it is still in the mix for all 4 of those teams.     Keep watching this space.

Haydi Gencler !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim