Ankaragücü sign Georgian International!

 

Ankaragücü made their second signing of the summer after announcing Georgian International winger Giorgi Beridze on a 2+1 year deal.

The 24 year old started his career in his home country before moving abroad to Gent in Belgium. He couldn’t break into the first team and spent a season with the Lokern youth team.

A move to Hungary kick started his career with a successful spell at Trencin. He then won a move to Ujpest playing 96 games scoring 33 goals and adding 20 assists. He also has 4 caps for the Georgia national team.

The Turkish Super Lig will be a step up from the Hungarian league but hopefully he can settle in and have a successful time with Ankaragücü.

Latest transfer news as Ankaragücü sign Greek winger!

 

Ankaragücü made a surprise announcement on their Twitter page today as they announced the signing of Greek winger Anastasios Chatzigiovanis on a free transfer. The 24 arrives from Panathanikos where he spent the last 6 seasons after coming through their youth team.

Tasos as he is known is a quick winger who reminds me of Saba Lobjanidze from the 5 minute YouTube video I saw of him today. He is said to have a lot of talent but had a disappointing campaign last season and will look to kickstart his career in the Turkish Capital after singing a 2+1 contract.

In other news, Emre Yildiz confirmed the club are close to signing another player from abroad and hope to announce it soon. Mustafa Dalci will decide whether the team extend the contracts of Aatif and Geraldo, and it’s unlikely that Owusu will return to the club.

The club have also agreed a deal with Jonathan Paintsil on the money he is owed and continue discussions with Hector Canteros. They hope to lift the transfer ban in the next couple of weeks.

GENCLERBIRLIGI DODGE THE BULLET !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler’s season came to a stuttering halt last night when they lost their last match to 2^nd top of the League, Umraniye.

 

Having flirted with the relegation zone for most of the season, they ended up only 4 points above the danger area and into 13^th position.

 

However, they can feel satisfied that they didn’t suffer the same fate as two famous Clubs who were relegated into the 2^nd League, ie, Bursa and Kocaeli.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI         2                      Umraniye           4

 

Team – Adiyaman, Abdullah, Metehan, Gokhan, Muhammed, Aksel, Hrechyshkin, Baris, Sallallich, Lualua and Lima

 

Substitues - Tshibola, Berisbek, Serdarcan, Omurcan and Ilker

 

I was unable to watch the match because the Ankaragucu  match was on at the same time, so I only have brief details.

 

The match was only 2 minutes old when Umraniye took the lead with a goal by Del Valle.    Lima equalised 8 minutes later before Del Valle added a second just before half time.

 

Mrsic made it three after only 5 minutes into the 2^nd half,  before Lima pulled another goal back 10 minutes later.    In what must have been a frantic last 20 minutes, Onur added the 4^th for Umraniye with 10 minutes to go until the final whistle.

 

So, another season in the Championship beckons for Gencler and much work will be required to strengthen the squad to make a serious challenge for promotion back into the Super League next season.

 

In the meantime, I will try and follow the comings and goings during the summer months.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU DELIVERS !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu was crowned League Champions last night when they defeated Keciorengucu and so both Ankaragucu and Umraniye finished the campaign on equal points.    Therefore, the Head-to-Head rule was applied, and with Ankaragucu having defeated Umraniye and drawn the other match, Ankaragucu take the title  !

 

All credit to both teams taking the League Title to the last match, and it was anything but plain sailing last night for Ankaragucu.    Mid-table Kecioren, with no pressure on them, made life very difficult for Ankaragucu, especially in the final 20 minutes when Ankaragucu was wavering and hanging onto their lead.

 

In all honesty it was a huge relief when the final whistle was blown   !!!

 

Keciorengucu                1                        ANKARAGUCU         2

 

Team – Akin, Yasin, Sinan, Yusuf, Erdem, Abdullah, Sahverdi, Ali Kaan, Aatif, Murat and Eren

 

Substitutes – Ariyibi, Cem, Babacan, Ishak and Ulas

 

Similar to last week’s match against Bolu, the Kecioren players gave a Guard of Honour welcome to the Ankaragucu players as they entered the field of play.   However, they made it quite clear that they meant to spoil Ankaragucu’s party with an attacking display for the entire match  !!

 

It didn’t take long for Kecioren to apply the pressure when they were awarded a penalty in the 7^th minute when Erdem and Yusuf between them brought an attacker down needlessly in the box.   The referee quite rightly pointed to the spot and Eze stepped-up to power in an unstoppable shot inside the left post.

 

Head in hands and a few choice words from us Kankas, but we were all smiles again 2 minutes later when Eren headed in the equaliser from Erdem’s inch perfect cross.

 

There was only one more serious attempt on goal in the 1^st half when Aatif’s powerful shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.    The rebound fell kindly for Ali Kaan, but he snatched at his shot which was easily saved.

 

Eren was making a nuisance of himself to the Kecioren defence and he almost scored 10 minutes into the 2^nd half, but his shot was deflected for a corner.

 

However, the winning goal eventually came with 20 minutes of the match remaining when Ali Kaan made amends for his 1^st half miss with a well taken goal.    Ariyibi started the move on the left and passed inside to Eren who in turn fed the ball to Ali Kaan on the right.    He took aim and sent his shot through the goalkeeper’s legs to send us wild in celebration.

 

Akin came to the rescue near the end with a great save from a header which was heading inside the right post.

 

The final whistle and high fives all round.     There was also relief that Umraniye’s win against Genclerbirligi didn’t affect the destination of the League Title   !!

 

There will now be little or no respite for the Ankaragucu management and Coach, Mustafa Dalci, as they begin preparations to have Ankaragucu ready for the Super League.

 

The present group of players did well to win the League, but it doesn’t require a genius to see that the team needs strengthening in most positions.

 

Also, Mustafa Bey must find time to work with the Youth Development Squad and try to drip-feed them into the first team squad to replace some of the aging players of the present squad  !!

 

We will attempt to give details of comings and goings during the summer months here, so please check from time-to-time to stay informed.

 

Well done Champions Ankaragucu   !!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI DELIVER THE GREAT ESCAPE !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler avoided a nail biting last match and possible relegation with a resounding win against fellow strugglers Menemenspor yesterday.

 

With only one match of the season left, they moved up into mid-table security and can now begin planning a re-build to challenge for promotion to the Super League next season.

 

I was at The Eryaman Stadium yesterday to watch the Ankaragucu match, so have only sketchy details of the Gencler match.

 

Menemenspor           1                   GENCLERBIRLIGI             3

 

Team – Ramazan, Muhammed, Gokhan, Metehan, Omurcan, Hrechyshkin, Tshibola, Berisberk, Lima, Baris and Ilker

 

Substitutes – Arda, Serdarcan, Aksel, Lualua and Furkan

 

Gencler opened the scoring just after the half time resumption with a goal by Lima.

 

Menemen equalised half way through the 2^nd half with an own goal by Gokhan,

 

But, Gencler made sure of all 3 points with late goals by Lualua and Tshibola.

 

Gencler may view their last match as academic, but it takes on greater significance for Ankaragucu as Gencler will play Umraniye at home next Sunday.

 

With Ankaragucu requiring a win against Keciorengucu next Sunday to be crowned Champions, all Ankaragucu supporters eyes will also be focused on the Gencler match  !!

 

However, the main focus is for Ankaragucu to concentrate on winning and so avoid having to rely on Gencler to beat Umraniye.     

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU SHOOT THEMSLELVES IN THE FOOT APPROACHING THE FINISHING POST !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

A terrible defensive cock-up into time added on at the end of the match yesterday gave Boluspor all 3 points and left Ankaragucu needing to win their last match next Sunday to go up to the Super League as Champions   !

 

At the beginning of the 2^nd half when Ankaragucu equalised Bolu’s opening goal we all sensed that the Ankaragucu avalanche of attacks would produce the winning goal, but for all their huff and puff, Ankaragucu couldn’t find the killer touch.    So, they paid the ultimate price for their profligacy with sloppy defending at the end to set-up a grandstand finish to the league.

 

What it means is this ............

 

Ankaragucu and Umraniye are on the same points at the top of the league and guaranteed promotion, but which team is going up as Champions   ?

 

On Sunday Ankaragucu will be away to Keciorengucu, and Umraniye away to Genclerbirligi.

 

If Ankaragucu and Umraniye both win then Ankaragucu will be crowned Champions based on the head-to-head rule, because Ankaragucu beat Umraniye and drew the other match against them.     It’s as simple as that   !!

 

The honour of being crowned Champions is now in their own hands  !!

 

However, back to yesterday’s match and the kankas watched it in Protokol (VIP Area) thanks to an invitation from Posh Kanka Ahmet.    It was my first visit to Protokol at The Eryaman Stadium and it was an enjoyable experience, well ............. apart from the final score of the match   !!

 

ANKARAGUCU            1                     Boluspor             2

 

Team – Bahadir, Murat, Sinan, Babacan, Yasin, Ali Kaan, Sahverdi, Atakan, Arif, Aatif and Muhammed

 

Substitutes – Zahid, Eren, Ariyibi, Abdullah and Erdem

 

We were full of optimism (as usual) and even the players must have felt it as they were welcomed onto the pitch with a Guard of Honour by the Bolu players to celebrate their promotion to the Super League.

 

However, that feeling went out the window 13 minutes into the match when Bolu went ahead with their first attack.

 

A free kick on the right was sent into the box but not dealt with by the Ankaragucu defence.  Roshi was first to react to a loose ball and he hammered the ball in with the Ankaragucu defenders looking bewildered.

 

The only action of note from Ankaragucu was a sublime effort by Yasin near the half time whistle about 35 yards out which went narrowly past the right post.

 

The alarming statistic from the 1^st half was 72% possession by Ankaragucu and zero shots on target   !!!     Unforgivable   !!!

 

However, there was more urgency and threat in Ankaragucu’s play on the resumption with the introduction of Zahid and Ariyibi, and it certainly paid off 2 minutes in when Zahid scored after excellent work by Ariyibi on the right and his accurate cut-back from the goal line.

 

Ankaragucu almost found the winning goal 10 minutes later when Sahverdi sent a great goal bound shot from about 30 yards out which was brilliantly saved and tipped over the bar for a corner.

 

Despite waves of attacks, the winning goal wouldn’t come and the match entered time added on with most of us thinking that 1 point was enough to stay 1 point ahead of Umraniye.     But .......... Ankaragucu’s defending let them down yet again   !!!

 

Terrible defending and the ball was gifted to Bolu by the defence and the ball played to Novak who sent his screamer of a shot from just inside the box to the top left with Bahadir unable to reach it.

 

It was a sickening blow to what was supposed to be a celebration day   !!!

 

Anyway, as I said at the beginning, all is not lost.    The accolade of going up to the Super League rests firmly with the players next Sunday when they play local team Keciorengucu.

 

The Aktepe Stadium is a small stadium in the Kecioren district of Ankara with a capacity of only 5,000, so we will be forced to watch the match in The Bira Park Bar.     No doubt TRT  will be flitting between the Ankaragucu match and the Umraniye match   !!

 

The kick off time has not been announced yet, but when it is, I’ll put it here in the comments section.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome of next Sunday’s crucial match.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI EASE THEIR RELEGATION FEARS !!

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler took an important scalp last night when they defeated possible promotion hopefuls, Erzurum, to ease their relegation fears.    They are now 4 points above the relegation zone and with 2 matches left, they can be confident, but not complacent.

 

With all the matches kicking off at the same time again last night, it was a case of watching TRT flip from one match to another as the kankas watched in The Bira Park Bar.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI          2                     Erzurum          1

 

Team – Ramazan, Omurcan, Metehan, Gokhan, Muhammed, Baris, Hrechyshkin, Tshibola, Berisbek, Sallallich and Lima

 

Substitutes – Musa, Aksel and Ilker

 

Erzurum took an early lead in the 4^th minute with a goal by Albayrak.

 

It took Gencler until the 24^th minute to equalise when Lima set-up Sallallich to power in a great shot.

 

Gencler’s Player of the Season (in my opinion  !!), Baris, scored the winner half way through the 2^nd half when he sent his shot into the top right when put through in the box.

 

Next up for Gencler is an away match against 2^nd bottom of the league Menemenspor who is staring relegation in the face.

 

If Gencler can win this match it will confirm league safety and perhaps they can do Ankaragucu a favour in their last match against Umraniye with a relaxed and winning performance.

 

However, Ankaragucu has the League Championship Title in their own hands, and with 2 matches left, they sit one point ahead of Umraniye and look favourites to go up to the Super League as Champions.

 

As always, watch this space next weekend for the details.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI BACK IN ‘THE SOAPY BUBBLE’ !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler lost the chance to secure mid-table security yesterday against fellow strugglers Denizli and now find themselves back in the relegation mix with only 3 matches left to save their season.

 

In the interests of fairness, all the league matches kicked off at the same time yesterday and I was in The Eryaman Stadium watching Ankaragucu being promoted back into the Super League, so I have no details of the Gencler match.       However, from what I can gather, Denizli had the lion’s share of play with 7 shots on target as opposed to Gencler’s one.

 

Denizlispor               2                     GENCLERBIRLIGI              1

 

Team – Adiyaman, Muhammed, Gokhan, Metehan, Omurcan, Hrechyshkin, Tshibola, Musa, Sallallich, Baris and Lima

 

Gencler opened the scoring on the half hour mark with a goal by the impressive Baris.

 

Denizli equalised shortly after half time and the winner was scored near the end by Ankaragucu ‘olde boy’ Djedje.

 

Gencler find  themselves back in the relegation mix and only 2 points above the relegation zone.    They now have 3 matches left to move clear, but they will not be easy matches in which to guarantee points.

 

First up next Sunday is a home match against Erzurum who are still trying to stay in the play off positions.    That one is followed by an away match against relegation threatened Menemen.    Finally, a match which all the Ankaragucu supporters will be hoping is a win for Gencler against Umraniye, which could very well be the deciding match on which team ends up as League Champions.

 

As always, watch this space for the details.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU CROSS THE FINISHING LINE AS .....’CHAMPIONS’ !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu made their season long wait to return to the Super League last night at the Eryaman Stadium.    After all, as one of the oldest football clubs in Turkey it is their God given right to be in the Super League ........isn’t it   ??!!

 

Ankaragucu needed only one point to qualify for promotion, but they made things difficult with nerves showing throughout the match, which I suppose is understandable in such a tense situation, especially with a full stadium of supporters.

 

Nevertheless, we, the kankas, Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Kaleci Kanka Tansu, Horseman Kanka Osman and yours truly, were full of optimism, even though we had a few heart-stopping moments during the match  !!

 

As for going up to the Super League as Champions, that is still in the balance with Umraniye still able to claim that distinction.    However, the bottom line is that with two more matches to play, Ankaragucu has been able to bounce straight back to the Super League and the point of who will go up as Champions will be decided in the next few weeks.

 

Samsun made things as difficult for Ankaragucu as possible and Ankaragucu had Man of the Match, Bahadir, to thank for an outstanding performance and saving the four shots that Samsun put on target during the match.

 

ANKARAGUCU            0                        Samsunspor                0

 

Team – Bahadir, Erdem, Yusuf, Alperen, Yasin, Abdullah, Ishak, Geraldo, Aatif, Murat and Owusu

 

Substitutes – Ariyibi, Sahverdi, Eren, Ali Kaan and Cem

 

Ankaragucu started the more purposeful team with Geraldo in particular raiding with menace on both wings and being constantly fouled.    Due to all ‘the attention’ he received from the Samsun defenders, he had to be substituted half way through the 1^st half with an injury which it is to be hoped is not serious.

 

Owusu had a chance to open the scoring after 15 minutes but he screwed his shot wide.

 

Samsun started to show more danger as an attacking force half way through the 1^st half and they almost scored from a fast break, but Alperen was on hand to nick the ball for a corner as the Samsun attacker was about to shoot in a dangerous position.

 

Bahadir came to the rescue shortly after when he pulled-off a great save from a long range goal bound shot.

 

To be perfectly honest, it was a relief when Ankaragucu was able to go in at half time all square at 0-0   !!

 

Ankaragucu continued to live dangerously in the 2^nd half, and after only 5 minutes in, Bahadir was well positioned to save a shot in a goalmouth scramble which was fortunately weak.

 

5 minutes later Bahadir was in action again to save a goal bound header from a corner.

 

Ankaragucu’s only serious attack came in the 66^th minute when Erdem sent in a great free kick on the left which was met by Yusuf, but his powerful header was just past the left post.

 

15 minutes to go and it was Ankaragucu’s defence holding back the Samsun attacks and Bahadir made yet another great save from Forfana’s goal bound effort.

 

It was becoming tense as the match entered the final minutes and Ankaragucu missed a golden opportunity to score in the dying minutes when a great ball was played into the box to Eren in space, but he was too slow to react to the chance and his shot was blocked.

 

Ankaragucu has a free weekend coming up and their next match is against Bolu on 15^th May who are hovering near the relegation zone.     So, another difficult match for Ankaragucu to attempt a vital 3 points in the chase to be League Champions.

 

Ankaragucu’s rivals, Umraniye, travel to Bursa next Sunday which is one of those MUST WIN matches for Bursa to continue in their efforts to avoid relegation.     Umraniye then has two more difficult matches to negotiate against Denizli and Genclerbirligi when hopefully they will lose points in those three matches .    

 

It is all geared up for a tense last few weeks of the season.

 

As always, watch this space for all the details.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim