ANKARAGUCU – CUP DREAM STILL ALIVE !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu kept their hopes of reaching The Turkish Cup Final alive last night and travel to Istanbul on 7 May for the 2^nd Leg of the semi final with still all to play for.   With so much at stake, it would be unwise to write off Ankaragucu’s chances after their never-say-die performance last night   !

 

Unlucky with VAR, hitting the woodwork and poor finishing, Ankaragucu should have taken at least one goal to Istanbul.    The one crumb of comfort is that they start all square and now it is purely in their own hands.   Play like they did last night and the final is within reach, but of course, without spurning their opportunities in the final 3^rd   !!

 

ANKARAGUCU           0                     Besiktas              0

 

Team – Bahadir, Atakan, Radakovic, Mujakic, Kitsiou, Tolga, Alexis, Morutan, Efkan, Bassogog and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Macheda, Pedrinho, Ali Kaan, Kazimcan and Tasos

 

Ankaragucu started brightly and opened the scoring after 15 minutes, or so we all thought, when excellent play by Bassogog on the left and his well aimed pass to Ali Sowe at the far post allowed him to stroke the ball in.    However, the referee was called to the dreaded VAR and he indicated that there had been an offside in the build-up.     From the replay, it was a ‘hairline decision’ and, to be honest, I wasn’t totally convinced   !!

 

To their credit, Ankaragucu continued to press forward and another chance was lost 10 minutes later when a Besiktas defensive blunder was seized upon by Ali Sowe who drove into the box, and with one-on-one with the goalkeeper, blasted the ball over the bar when a cool head would have brought the opening goal   !

 

10 minutes later and another chance was missed when Tolga’s fierce shot from just inside the box was unfortunate to hit the bar and out.

 

It was mostly all Ankaragucu in the 1^st half and they could consider themselves desperately unlucky to go in all square at the break   !

 

It was more of the same in the 2^nd half with Bahadir having only one save to make when he punched the ball clear from a corner.

 

With 15 minutes to go Ankaragucu conjured up the miss of the match which was really unforgiveable   !!     The Besiktas goalkeeper parried a fierce shot straight to the unmarked Macheda who with the goal at his mercy, headed the ball downwards and the rebound sailed over the bar.   No doubt Macheda will have nightmares for some time about this glaring faux pas   !!!

 

Sadly, Morutan was stretchered off near the end when he suddenly pulled-up when jumping for the ball.    It is to be hoped that it is not as serious as it looked.

 

So, the onus of Ankaragucu’s tactics for the 2^nd leg must be quite straight forward, ie, adopt a ‘home match’ mind-set and attack for 90 plus minutes like they did last night.   They must shrug off the idea that they are underdogs    !!!

 

For now, the impetus swings back to league action for a crucial match in Rize on Sunday in which they must take at least one point.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI REGAIN FOCUS !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

After last week’s capitulation in the ‘mini’ Ankara Derby, Gencler is back on track to challenge for a play-off place after seeing-off Erzurum yesterday.

 

With only 3 matches left, it is now in their own hands, but they must first face 2^nd top of the league Goztepe next Sunday in what will surely be the match which defined their prospects of achieving it.

 

Despite Erzurum having the lion’s share of possession yesterday, they failed to take their numerous chances, especially in the 1^st half, and therefore paid the ultimate price.

 

On the other hand, Gencler took their chances and scored 2 goals which was really no more than they deserved after their persistence.   There can be no doubting their determination to make the play-offs, and had it not been for a dip in their early season form, they would probably have clinched it at this stage in the season.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI              2                      Erzurumspor             0

 

Team – Ertugrul, Nzaba, Yigit, Babacan, Yasin, Oguzhan, Amilton, James, Akabueze, Ensar and Melih

 

Substitutes – Musa, M. Yatabare, Ozgur and Baran

 

It was Erzurum who looked the likelier of the two teams in the 1^st half and Gencler had Ertugrul to thank for restricting their attacks.   In the first 20 minutes of the match he saved two fierce long-range goal bound shots.

 

It took Gencler until 5 minutes before half time to trouble Erzurum when a long-range shot was parried by the goalkeeper and the follow-up shot was cleared by a defender on the line.

 

Erzurum almost opened the scoring a few minutes later when a goal bound shot was well saved by Ertugrul for a corner.

 

Then, almost on the half time whistle, and against the run of play, Gencler snatched the opener.    A long range goal bound shot by Ensar was parried by the goalkeeper and Melih (the predator  !!) was first to the ball to head in unchallenged.

 

Erzurum almost found the equaliser just after the resumption when a shot hit the post and rebounded to an Erzurum attacker who blasted the ball over with the goal at his mercy   !

 

Erzurum continued to search for the equaliser but the Gencler defence was resolute in thwarting their efforts in the final 3^rd.    Consequently, they gradually resorted to long range efforts.

 

Then, with 20 minutes to go, Gencler pulled the trigger.    A fast break on the left and the ball played to Akabueze in the centre, and from the edge of the box he sent his shot inside the left post.

 

5 minutes to go and Amilton almost made it 3 but his shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.

 

So, as I said earlier, Gencler face the acid test next Sunday when the travel to take-on an in-form Goztepe team who are only 6 points behind top of the league Eyupspor.     Both teams will be anxious to claim all 3 points so a close encounter is guaranteed.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Besiktas 2-0 Ankaragücü

 

A dissapeointng defeat in Istanbul last night for Ankaragücü as bad defending and poor finishing ultimately cost the team taking any points from the game.

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Uros, Mujakic, Kazimcam, Tolga, Efkan, Ali Kaan, Morutan, Bassogog, Ali Sow

Ankaragücü didn’t play to badly overall but again it was amateur defending that would play a big part in this game.

Kazimcam has struggled since joining the club on loan from Galatasaray and again he was all over the place against Besiktas. He almost scored and own goal when he headed the ball back across the face of goal and onto the post in the first half.

Bassogog at the other end played a lovely cross in for Ali Sowe who couldn’t even get his header on target as he headed over the bar.

Ernest Muci was the best player on the park and gave Besiktas the lead on the 17th minute. He was unmarked at the edge of the box and curled his shot past Bahadir.

Bahadir then made a couple of good saves from Muci and Gedson before Morutan hit the post and Tolga had his effort cleared off the line at the other end.

Into the second half and Kitsiou had a great chance but shot well over from about 5 yards out.

Gezzal then hit the bar at the other end from a free kick. And then the 2nd goal came as Muleka one of the smallest players on the park scored a header from a corner as he stood unmarked in the box.

Final score 2-0

Ankaragücü will be hoping for a better performance as both teams meet in the cup on Tuesday in Ankara!

GENCLERBIRLIGI UNDONE IN THE ‘MINI’ ANKARA DERBY !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

I was only able to watch the first 30 minutes of the match yesterday, but even with only 4 matches left to play,  it looks likely that Gencler has blown their chance of making the play-offs.

 

They have a ‘home banker’ against already relegated Giresun, but their other 3 matches look very tough indeed, especially away to almost automatically promoted Goztepe.

 

Of course, as I have said many times here, there are no ‘easy’ matches in this league, so there is still all to play for, but ...........time is not on Gencler’s side   !!

 

Keciorengucu          2                   GENCLERBIRLIGI            1

 

Team – Ertugrul, Yasin, Babacan, Yigit, Nzaba, Akabueze, Oguzhan, Ensar, Amilton, M. Yatabare and Melih

 

Substitutes – James, Jimmy Durmaz, M. Cagiran, Ozgur and Oltan

 

Kecioren opened the scoring after 25 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after a VAR  check.     Yasin tripped a Kecioren attacker in the box and the referee had waved play on.   However, he was directed to the VAR and the penalty was quite rightly awarded.    Bitin stepped up and sent Ertugrul the wrong way.

 

Gencler equalised in time-added-on in the 1^st half through Amilton, but Kecioren struck the winning goal halfway through the 2^nd half with a goal by Cinan.

 

Traore of Kecioren received a RED card near the end which obviously didn’t affect the outcome.

 

Next up is a home match on 21 April against mid-table Erzurum and another difficult encounter likely.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – UP FOR THE FIGHT !!!

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

I think we are all agreed that there is no doubting Ankaragucu’s determination to avoid relegation, and that said, it was quite clear last night that the effort put-in by the team reaped their just reward.    Coach Emre Bey has the players fighting for every ball and the will to win is there for all to see.

 

Having gone a goal down early in the match, Ankaragucu fought back to deservedly claim all 3 points and put a little more distance between them and the relegation zone.

 

True enough, with 6 matches left to play, there is still a lot to do, but the performance last night was encouraging for the final run-in.

 

ANKARAGUCU           3                         Gaziantep            1

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mujakic, Kazimcan, Ali Kaan, Tolga, Morutan, Efkan, Bassogog and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Pedrinho, Tasos, Alexis, Macheda and Renaldo

 

Ankaragucu received a wake-up call after only 7 minutes of the match when Gaziantep scored the opening goal in their first attack, and it was basically down to the defence failing to clear the ball from inside the 6 yard box.   The ball fell kindly to Jevtovic in the centre whose shot went in high centre with Bahadir static.

 

It was all Ankaragucu after that shock opener and they equalised after 24 minutes when Bassogog picked-up the ball in the Ankaragucu half and took off with Gaziantep players in his wake.    He ran straight into the Gaziantep box and slid the ball to Ali Sowe in support and he tapped in for an excellent goal.      Wrong   !!!       VAR was called into play and the goal ruled out for offside.    Marginal, but unfortunately correct   !

 

Ankaragucu continued to attack and were duly rewarded 6 minutes later with a slick piece of skill by Efkan.   He received a long pin-point pass in the centre, shrugged off a challenge and side-footed the ball inside the right post.

 

In the run-up to the half time whistle, Ankaragucu was denied by the woodwork on two occasions.   Firstly, Ali Sowe hit the bar with a header and then Ali Kaan hit the post with a great shot.

 

However, into the 2^nd half, and the 2^nd goal arrived at the half way point when Ali Sowe received a lay-off pass in the centre and he made no mistake.

 

3 minutes later and the icing on the cake when Efkan’s fierce shot from outside the box in the centre whizzed inside the left post.

 

An excellent team performance and all credit to all the players who rose to the occasion.

 

The focus now switches to next Friday when Ankaragucu travel to take on Besiktas in what will be a dress rehearsal for their Cup Semi Final matches.     However, thoughts of the Cup are sure to be put on the back burner in favour of league points   !!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI – 1 STEP FORWARD AND 2 STEPS BACK !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler missed a golden opportunity to move into the play-off zone today when their recent winning run came to an abrupt halt.

 

This should have been a ‘home banker’ on recent form, but all credit to Adana for refusing to capitulate after going a goal down, and their constant harrying of Gencler in the 2^nd half when they refused to allow Gencler time on the ball to dictate play.   Adana’s confidence noticeably grew as the 2^nd half unfolded.

 

However, there is still time for Gencler to impact the play-off group, and perhaps they received a reminder today that it is unwise to under-estimate any team in this league   !

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI           1                       Adanaspor              1

 

Team – Ertugrul, Nzaba, Yigit, Babacan, Yasin, Ensar, Oguzhan, Akabueze, Amilton, Bugra Cagiran and Melih

 

Substitutes – Jimmy Durmaz, M. Yatabare, Oltan and James

 

It was mostly all one-way traffic towards the Adana goal in the 1^st half and Gencler missed a trick to go in with a commanding lead at the half time whistle.

 

Gencler almost opened the scoring after 17 minutes when a shot hit the bar and the ball went out of play.   

 

2 minutes later and this time the ball hit the back of the net when Melih surged into the box and let fly.    However, the linesman’s flag was up for offside.    VAR was called in and the goal was correctly given, but it was a hairline decision.

 

Approaching half time and Melih should have made it 2 when put through again, but his shot went whizzing narrowly past the post.

 

A few minutes later Nzaba saw his well struck long range shot well saved by the goalkeeper who was almost caught out when he strayed too far off his line.

 

Then, almost on the half time whistle came an audacious goal from Dabo after Gencler lost possession on the halfway line.    He took a few steps forward a sent a looping shot over Ertugrul’s head and in just under the bar.    Not an auspicious 1^st half for Ertugrul who didn’t have anything to do apart from hiding his blushes   !!

 

Nothing much to say about the 2^nd half which was all about Adana playing the possession game to obviously frustrate Gencler, and in that respect they achieved their aim   !!

 

Next up for Gencler is the Ankara Derby away to Keciorengucu on 13 April.    With Kecioren near the relegation zone Gencler can expect another tough match with both teams desperate for points.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Antalyaspor 1-1 Ankaragucu!

 

Ankaragucu produced one of their best performances of the season last night but it wasn't enough to give them the 3 points. Emre Belozoglu will however be happy to take an important point back to the capital with some huge games coming up in the next few weeks both in the league and cup. 

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Uros, Mujakic, Alper, Tolga, Ali Kaan, Pedrinho, Morutan, Bassogog, Ali Sowe

Subs - Fatih, Efkan, Tasos, Kazimcan, Alexis, Saponara, Atakan, Arda, Cephas, Macheda

Antalyaspor away was always going to be a difficult game but Ankaragucu started the game well and were playing some nice football. Morutan and Bassogog were doing their best to try and create, while Ali Sowe worked his socks off. 

The team had two chances in the opening 20 minutes through Ali Sowe and Ali Kaan but both times Helton made a great save. At the other end Bahadir made a good save from Safuri. 

Antalyaspor took the lead on the 39th minute after really poor defending from Mujakic and Alper gave Erdogan so much space and he put the ball past Bahadir to make it 1-0. 

Into the second half and again Ankaragucu continued to come forward and were rewarded on the 63rd minute. Excellent play from Ali Kaan as he broke forward with the ball before passing to Ali Sowe, the Gambian then played a lovely ball into Efkan who brilliantly finished past Helton to make it 1-1. 

Ali Sowe had another couple of chances but couldnt finish them. He worked really hard the whole game and had a decent game. He just needs to be more clinical in front of goal and seems like he is trying to hard and suffering from a bit of low confidence in front of goal. 

Ankaragucu did have the ball in the net late on but Efkan header was ruled out correctly for offside and the match finished 1-1. 

Overall a good performance but the team really do lack any quality in attack. Its also concerning that of all the new signings Emre made in January, only Bassogog has made it into the starting line up. 

Up next is Gaziantep at home next Saturday in what will be a huge game for the club with both sides fighting relegation. 

GENCLERBIRLIGI – SMASH AND GRAB !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler fully deserved to take all 3 points yesterday after grabbing 2 vital goals in the 2^nd half to stun Bolu who were looking the likelier of the two teams, especially after their 1^st half showing.

 

Bolu played some attractive football, but the Gencler defence held firm.    However, Bolu was reeling in the 2^nd half when they went 2 goals down early on.

 

So, after 3 consecutive wins, Gencler is now well placed for the final 6 matches and to make a serious challenge for a play-off spot.    It is well and truly in their own hands now  !

 

Boluspor            1                     GENCLERBIRLIGI                  2

 

Team – Ertugrul, Yasin, Babacan, Yigit, Nzaba, Oguzhan, Ensar, R. B. Cagiran, Akabueze, Amilton and Melih Bostan

 

Substitutes – Elias Durmaz, M. Yatabare and Jimmy Durmaz

 

Only 3 points separated the two teams before the kick-off, so a close match was on the cards, and so it transpired in the 1^st half with both teams evenly matched.     However, it was Bolu who had the best chances with 2 shots on target, but Ertugrul was well placed to deal with both of them.

 

Going in at half time at 0-0 was therefore unsurprising   !

 

Gencler came out for the 2^nd half and immediately went into attack mode.     2 minutes in and the post saved Bolu from Melih’s shot after good work by Amilton to cut the ball back from the goal line.

 

Gencler were not to be denied though when the opening goal came 7 minutes later.   A sweeping move by Gencler down the left and the ball played into Amilton on the right who shot between the goalkeeper’s legs for a stunning goal.

 

10 minutes later and it was two when the Bolu defence made a hash of clearing a Gencler attack and in the process gave possession to Melih.    He surged into the box and his shot was fumbled by the goalkeeper and crossed the line to put Gencler firmly in the driving seat.

 

It was almost 3 with 10 minutes to go  when Ensar’s powerful long range shot heading for the top right was spectacularly saved by the goalkeeper.

 

Bolu’s consolation goal came in time added on when Camara danced around 3 attempted tackles in the box on the left and then made the perfect cut-back to the unmarked Avramovski who made no mistake.    

 

Too little too late from Bolu in the 2^nd half   !!

 

Eyup and Goztepe look safe at the top of the league, so the main focus is now on the play-off positions.

 

Next up for Gencler is a home match on Sunday 7 April against Adanaspor who are in the relegation zone, but it is still mathematically possible for them to reach mid-table safety.   Therefore, this will be another of those ‘close encounters’ with both teams desperate for all 3 points for different reasons   !  

 

3 points for Gencler would put them in a strong position to secure that coveted play-off place.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – NOT FOR FOLDING !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

In one of Ankaragucu’s best performances of the season last night they made a statement of intent to the teams in the bottom half of the league that they are ready and willing to fight off the threat of relegation.

 

True enough, they are not out of the woods yet, but they can surely be encouraged that they took the scalp of a strong Basaksehir team who are still in the hunt for qualifying for a European Competition next season.

 

With 8 matches left it is still all to play for, and the hope is that Ankaragucu can deliver consistent performances similar to last night’s.   

 

The fight is still very much .........on   !!!

 

ANKARAGUCU              2                       Basaksehir           1

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Atakan, Mujakic, Alper, Tolga, Pedrinho, Bassogog, Morutan, Tasos and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Ali Kaan, Arda, Kazimcan, Renaldo and Macheda

 

The first half was fairly even with the match swinging from end to end, but with only 2 clear cut chances.

 

Ali Sowe almost scored when he hit the post with a header with the goalkeeper beaten.

 

At the other end, Bahadir made a great save from a shot just outside the box which was heading in.

 

7 minutes into the 2^nd and Tasos should have done better when well placed, but he sent his shot well over the bar.

 

However, 4 minutes later and the breakthrough arrived when Ali Sowe was brought down in the box.    No argument .........penalty   !         Captain Tolga stepped up to the mark and sent a fierce shot inside the left post.      A perfect penalty   !

 

Basak searched for the equaliser, but Bahadir was equal to the efforts which came his way.

 

Then came The Goal of the Match.      A long clearance was made to Ali Sowe who avoided 3 attempted tackles as he surged into the box before sending his shot inside the left post.

 

Game over    ?          Not quite.

 

Renaldo was put through on the left but the goalkeeper narrowed the angle of his shot to prevent the 3^rd goal.

 

10 minutes to go and Basak pulled a goal back which resulted in a comedy of errors and a slice of luck   !      A cross was sent in from the right to the back post which wasn’t dealt with by Bahadir and the defence.    With the ball bobbing around, Bahadir in the sitting position, Figueiredo was allowed to prod the ball over the line for a soft and sloppy goal.

 

Ankaragucu quelled Basak’s search for the equaliser and calmly ran the clock down   !

 

There is now a 2 weeks break in league action for International matches next weekend and a General Election in Turkey the following weekend.

 

Ankaragucu will be in action again on 2^nd or 3^rd of April when they travel to play Antalyaspor who are sitting in the top half of the league and no doubt still looking to move further up the league to qualify for European football next season.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI MAINTAIN MOMENTUM IN PLAY-OFF RACE !

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

As the season enters the final furlong with only 7 matches left to play, Gencler recorded their 3^rd back-to-back win of the season last night to keep their play-off hopes on track.

 

Despite Kocaeli having the lion’s share of play, Gencler has a striker. Melih Bostan, who has gradually developed into a skilful predatory front-man over the past month or so.    In the event that Gencler don’t make it back into the Super League, I have no doubt that he will be poached by a Super League club next season.

 

This Gencler team seem to be gelling together at the right time and they have a strong bench to see them through the run-in.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI             2                 Kocaelispor          0

 

Team – Ertugrul, Ozuzhan, Nzaba, Babacan, Yasin, Elias Durmaz, Amilton, Akabueze, James Siliki, Ensar and Melih Bostan

 

Substitutes – Yigit, Ozgur, Gaetan and Oltan

 

Gencler was back in the Eryaman Stadium after playing a few recent matches at The Aktepe Stadium, but I have to say that the surface still looks poor, especially around the goalmouth area.

 

It was a fast and furious 1^st half with both teams intent on attack, but Gencler was well worth their half time lead with 2 clinical finishes.

 

The first came after only 4 minutes when a cross came into the 6 yard box from the right and Melih ghosted in between 3 defenders to prod the ball in.

 

Kocaeli threatened Ertugrul only once when a goal bound header in the centre was saved at the left post.

 

The 2^nd goal arrived in time added on in the 1^st half from a sweeping move down the right.   The ball was played inside to James, but before he could take his shot, Melih nipped in ahead of him to shoot inside the left post.     A true predator   !!

 

Unsurprisingly, the pace of the match noticeably slowed in the 2^nd half with Ertugrul coping easily with only 2 goal bound efforts from Kocaeli.

 

There is now a 2 weeks break in league action for International matches next weekend and the General Election in Turkey the following weekend.

 

Gencler will be in action again on Tuesday 2 April when they travel to play mid-table Bolu who also have play-off aspirations   !

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI – BACK IN THE FRAME !

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler finally recorded their first win in 8 attempts yesterday, and after such a vital victory are back in the race to join the play-off hopefuls.     Still a long way to go, but it’s a step in the right direction.

 

Altay            0                     GENCLERBIRLIGI             4

 

Team – Ertugrul, Oguzhan, Arda, Babacan, Nzaba, Amilton, Ensar, R. B. Cagiran, James Siliki, Bostan and Gaetan

 

Substitutes – Halit, Jimmy Durmaz, Baran, M. Cagiran and Akabueze

 

 

The first real action of the match occurred in the 20^th minute when Gencler opened the scoring.   A slack tackle by an Altay player allowed Bostan to collect the ball and with a deft back-heel overhead flick he deceived a defender, drove into the box and sent a well placed shot inside the left post.

 

10 minutes later and it was almost two when a James corner was only parried by the goalkeeper, but cleared by a defender.

 

Altay only managed one shot which was a long range effort which hit the post and cleared.

 

Almost on the half time whistle and Bostan was needlessly brought down almost on the goal line to the left of the post.      Penalty, said the referee, and despite pleas from the Altay players, he refused to check VAR.      Ensar sent his well taken penalty inside the left post.

 

All credit to Gencler to restrict Altay to only one serious attempt on goal and Gencler good value for taking their chances.

 

I was unable to watch the 2^nd half, but 2 goals by R. B. Cagiran shortly after the 2^nd half resumed was enough to claim 3 valuable points.

 

So, as I said, Gencler is now back in contention for a play-off place, and if they can reproduce the form they displayed yesterday, will have to be taken seriously.

 

Next up for Gencler is a home match against 3rd top Kocaelispor next Friday night.    Kocaeli is in the chase to catch Goztepe in 2^nd place, so a close encounter is anticipated.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim