Bursaspor 0-4 Ankaragucu - Match Report!

 

Ankaragucu delivered one of the best team performances we have seen from the club in a number of years with a resounding 4-0 win in Bursa. Eren Derdiyok was the start of the show with an excellent hat trick as he continues to prove his doubters wrong. 

Team - Akin, Erdem, Sinan, Yusuf, Pinto, Abdullah, Ishak, Zahid, Murat, Ayiribi, Eren

Subs - Mert, Erdi, Ulas, Aatif, Ali Kaan, Atakan, Cem, Mahmut, Nadir, Sitiki Ferdi

When the teams were announced, i have to admit to being disappointed to seeing Ali Kaan dropped from the team while Abdullah kept his place. However Dalci got it right as Abdullah delivered his best performance to date and the team balance was a lot better than the match against Menemen. 

Bursa had the first chance of the match on the 11th minute when they were through on goal after a mistake from Sinan, but Akin made himself big with an excellent save. Five minutes later Abdullah won the ball in the middle of the park before putting Eren through on goal, but the big striker didnt have the pace and the Bursa defender got back to clear. 

Only a few minutes later, Eren would get himself on the scoresheet. An excellent move involving Abdullah and Zahid who found Ishak out on the left, the midfielder crossed perfectly for Eren who finished brilliantly with his left foot to give Ankaragucu the lead. 

Four minutes later Ankaragucu doubled their lead, and it was that man Eren who scored again. Zahid found Murat on the left, who played the ball across the face of goal for Eren who made no mistake and made it 0-2.

Half Time - 0-2

Into the second half and Ankaragucu sored within a minute of the restart. A great corner from Erdem was headed home by Yusuf who has now scored 3 goals this season. The centre back is showing how important he is to this team at both ends of the pitch. 

On 55 minutes, Murat burst forward down the right and cut the ball back for Zahid who shot over from just inside the box. Both players were having an excellent game. 

Bursaspor had very few opportunities in the match but Ofosu set up Bruno who volleyed well wide from just inside the box. Two minutes later Matavz almost got lucky as his cross was well saved by Akin. Seconds later Akin made another outstanding save as he pushed the ball onto the post. 

Three minutes later Eren Derdiyok got his hat trick Excellent play from Ayiribi and Ishak who combined to set up Eren who had the simple task of putting the ball in the net which he made no mistake. 4-0 Ankaragucu and the fans who were scattered around the stadium were delighted. 

Bursa had a couple of chances at the end through Batuhan and Ofosu, while Erdem went close at the other end. But final score was Bursaspor 0-4 Ankaragucu. It was an excellent performance from Ankaragucu with everyone playing their part. Ishak again showing how important he is in midfield, while Abdullah was excellent and had his best game.

Zahid is getting fitter and his quality is starting to show as he was involved in 2 of the goals. While Murat delivered another excellent performance with his hard work and pace in attack. 

Next up for Ankargucu is Erzurumspor at home next Sunday. Erzurum are sitting 3rd just one place behind Ankaragucu and the match will be a huge game with both teams fighting for that automatic promotion spot. 

GENCLERBIRLIGI – ON THE MOVE ..........NORTHWARDS !

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Apologies for the brevity of this report   !!       I was unable to watch this match due to a social engagement which put football on extremely low priority  !!!

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI            1                Boluspor            0

 

Team – Adiyaman, Omurcan, Arda, Kula, Akyuz, Aktas, Hrechyshkin, Alici, Lualua, Lima and Eleke

 

After 7 matches played, last night’s win, their 2^nd of the season, sees Gencler move out of the bottom half of the league and up into the mid point position.

 

The only goal of the match was scored by Alici 5 minutes into the 2^nd half.     Gencler had 6 shots on target to Bolu’s measly 1, so I don’t imagine that Bolu can have much to complain about  !

 

Gencler travel to Balikesir next Saturday to face a team only 2 points behind them.    Therefore, a close match is anticipated.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Bursaspor vs Ankaragucu match preview!

 

The Bursaspor vs Ankaragucu match is one of the most colorful in the Turkish football calendar. Turkey is notorious for football rivalries with fierce atmospheres that can lead to crowd trouble and violence. Bursa vs Ankaragucu has a history of friendship that goes back to Abdulkadir Bayraktar who was a Bursaspor ultra leader that would also go and watch Ankaragucu matches. 

Sadly Abdulkadir passed away in the 90s and both sets of fans came together to forge even stronger relationships in tribute to their great friend. 

Both Ankaragucu and Bursaspor are clubs with huge potential but due to miss management and financial problems, both clubs are playing their football in Lig 1. Ankaragucu a club from the Capital of Turkey in a city of close to 6 million people. Bursa a city that see most of the local population support Bursaspor instead of the Istanbul clubs. 

Turkey has so many Historical clubs with decent sized fan base including Ankaragucu, Bursa, Kocaelispor, Sakaryaspor, Karsiyaka, Eskisehirspor and Sanliurfaspor to name a few. Instead we are seeing more municipal clubs with no fans climbing the leagues. For the sake of Turkish football, those in charge of the game need to do more to fight corruption and look after these historical clubs. Unfortunately, those who run the game are likely involved in the corruption and politics that prevent the Super Lig from moving forward with all the untapped potential. 

Sunday will see two of those clubs face each other in what is a huge match at this early stage of the season. Ankargucu will be looking to bounce back from their 2-2 draw with a win and keep the pressure on leaders Umraniyespor. While Bursa need the 3 points to get their promotion hopes back on track. 

Ankaragucu played well in spells against Menemen on Monday night. Gboly Ayiribi impressed again while both Erdem and Yusuf came up with big moments again despite both being at fault for the first goal.

The main issues the team faced was being too suspect to the counter attack and the pace of the Menemen forward line. Abdullah Durak was also the only defensive minded midfielder to start. You can see Abdullah Durak was a quality player in his time, but his fitness is a big concern and he was again taken off early in the game. Ishak Cakmak must return to the starting line up on Sunday as he was a big miss from the team until he came on in the 2nd half. 

Erden Derdiyok has answered all his critics (me included) with 3 goals in 3 games and has shown if the chances are created for him, then he will finish them. Zahid had a poor debut overall but again showed glimpses of his quality. He needs more games to get his fitness up and i have no doubt he will become key player for the team.

Geraldo again found a place in the team for some unknown reason. He has now been involved in 24 games for Ankargucu and has 0 goals and 0 assists. Cem is back and Owusu should be back for Sundays game which should see Geraldo either on the bench or left at home. Personally i would look at terminating his contract and instead give Atakan Dama an opportunity. Ankaragucu have some talented players but none of them are getting any meaningful minutes at the moment. 

Bursaspor started the season with a draw and  3 straight defeats, but since they strengthened the team on transfer deadline day they have followed that up with an excellent 4-1 win over Samsunspor and a 0-0 draw at Tuzlaspor. 

Namiq Alsagarov was a major coup for Bursa after signing him from the Azerbaijan league where he was top scorer. He will be the key player along with other big signings Elton Acolatse and Massimo Bruno, while they call also call upon the experienced Tim Matavz.

Former Ankaragucu left back Onur Atasayer is the starting left back for Bursa and a good player at this level, while Hasan Ayaroglu is also available for selection.

Ankaragucu will need to be at their best and defend better if they are to take anything from this game. Its a tough place to go and with Bursa improving their form of late its a match that can go either way. 

ANKARAGUCU – GRATEFUL TO WIN A POINT ......IN THE END !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

It is said that ‘one man doesn’t make a team’, but Rasheed of Menemen tended to disprove that statement last night when he was a constant ‘thorn in the flesh’ of the Ankaragucu defence.    He was responsible for putting the Ankaragucu defence under pressure for most of the match every time the ball was played to him, and as Damon said, it was questionable whether The Coach, Mustafa Bey, did his homework on the Menemen team, especially Rasheed   !!

 

It is often said here that there is a high standard of football in The Championship League, which is probably open to discussion, but players of the calibre of Rasheed, Fofana of Samsun and our own Ariyibi can light up a match with their skill and pace.     There is no such thing as ‘an easy match’ in this league   !!!

 

ANKARAGUCU          2                     Menemenspor            2

 

Team – Akin, Erdem, Yusuf, Sinan, Pinto, Abdullah, Ali Kaan, Zahid, Geraldo, Ariyibi and Eren

 

Substitutes – Cem, Ciftci, Aatif and Murat

 

The kankas, Maniac Kanka Harun, Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I, met-up at The Bira Park Bar full of optimism, and Harun’s pre-match prediction that Ankaragucu would score an early goal proved correct   !!

 

The match was only 2 minutes old when Ariyibi went on a fast run down the left, evading 2 tackles as he went.    He took the ball to the goal line, looked up briefly, and played the classic cut back into the centre where the unmarked Eren drove the ball into the net to prove Harun’s prediction spot-on  !

 

Ankaragucu tails were up and we were all smiles, and even shouting for an avalanche of goals   !!!

 

However, we were brought back down to earth again when that man Rasheed decided to change the complexion of the match.   It was the 13^th minute and the first time Menemen had been able to escape from their half of the field.     Rasheed went on a run down the left and cut in near the goal line, evading two poor attempted tackles in the process.   He sent in his cut-back to the centre and the 1^st shot was blocked by Akin, but the 2^nd shot by Sagat was poked in despite the fact that he was surrounded by 3 defenders.    A catastrophic piece of defending by the Ankaragucu defence  !!

 

Ankaragucu did have one good chance before the half time whistle when Geraldo was put through with an excellent pass, but instead of burying the ball in the net, he decided to hit the goalkeeper in the face with a feeble attempted shot.      Aaaaaargh   !!!      Question ........will Geraldo ever score a goal or make an assist for Ankaragucu   ???       Answer .......... Mmmmmmm......... I doubt it  !!!

 

The players came out for the 2^nd half with Cem replacing Geraldo to loud cheers by the kankas   !!!

 

Mustafa Bey’s half time team talk didn’t seem to have had any effect when that man Rasheed took matters into his own hands again after only 5 minutes played.    There was another ‘comedy of errors’ in the Ankaragucu defence allowing Rasheed the easiest of chances to put Menemen ahead.       Much work needs to be undertaken this week in the Training Ground, especially with defensive tactics   !!!

 

Menemen seemed to be strolling their way to a surprising win against red hot favourites Ankaragucu as the kankas sat with glum faces.     However, with 15 minutes of the match remaining they suddenly woke-up and turned that match around with an equaliser.   It came from a surprising source, but a joy to watch.   A cross came into the centre from the right and Yusuf was first to  it with a diving header to send the ball inside the left post with the goalkeeper well beaten.

 

It was all Ankaragucu now searching for the winning goal which almost came.   Ankaragucu hit the bar and then Erdem had a goal bound shot well saved by the goalkeeper, but this was the style of play which had taken Ankaragucu to 2^nd top of the league.     The question then arises ............ why can’t they play like this with full on attack for the entire match instead of allowing teams to take control of phases in the match.     Another problem for Mustafa Bey to solve   !!

 

Well, the bottom line is that Ankaragucu remain undefeated after 6 matches into the season, but another mountain to climb approaches next Sunday.

 

Ankaragucu travel to ‘Brother Team’ Bursa and you will have to go back into the history books to find out the last time Ankaragucu won a match there.     There will no doubt be another ‘love in’ between the supporters, but there is never much ‘love’ shown on the field of play when the match kicks off   !!!

 

Hopefully Owusu is back from injury to partner Ariyibi and Eren up front.     Also, a victory in Bursa is long overdue.       Bring it on   !!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI – REVIVAL PUT ON ‘HOLD’ !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

This was and end-to-end match in the 1^st half and a fair result with both teams scorning chances and scoring one goal each.

 

Samsunspor             2                      GENCLERBIRLIGI            2

 

Team – Adiyaman, Kerem, Mert, Arda, Omurcan, Hrechyshkin, Aksel, Lima, LuaLua, Baris and Eleke

 

Substitutes – Berisbek, Ilker, Salall and Metehan

 

Gencler should have gone ahead in the 11^th minute when Eleke was put through one-on-one with the Samsun goalkeeper Ozer, but he shot narrowly past the left post.

 

8 minutes later and Samsun should have gone ahead when a great sweeping pass from inside his own half was made by Fofana to Okutan, but he shot weakly at Adiyaman.

 

3 minutes later and another chance for Gencler when Lima fired in a screamer of a shot from well outside the penalty box, but Ozer made a great save at the left post.

 

6 minutes later and it was Tomane of Samsun who received a pass from the right on the 18 yard line, swivelled and sent a shot just past the left post.

 

On the half hour mark, and Gencler almost snatched the opener, but a goal bound shot was cleared off the line by full back Taskin.

 

However, the opening goal arrived 10 minutes later when a cross came in from Yasin on the left and Fofana nipped in between two defenders and shot inside the right post.

 

2 minutes later and Lima was one-on-one with Ozer but his shot was saved for a corner.

 

Almost on the half time whistle and the equaliser arrived from a Gencler corner on the left.   Baris was first to the ball and back-headed to Lima at the back post for a simple tap-in.

 

15 minutes into the 2^nd half and Gencler almost snatched the lead when Lima made a run off the ball and received a pinpoint pass, but his shot was past the post.

 

However, it arrived 1 minute later from a Gencler corner on the left.   Arda send in a glancing header inside the right post when unchallenged in the centre.

 

20 minutes to go and Kilic sent in a fierce shot on the 18 yard line which whistled just over the bar.

 

Gencler should have wrapped the match up with 10 minutes to go when Baris broke free on the right and passed unselfishly to Eleke in the centre who shot weakly at Ozer.

 

That was it with 3 minutes of time added on (I thought), but Samsun refused to concede and it was all down to Man of the Match, Fofana.   He beat off 2 tackles on the right and sent over a deep cross to the left which was headed back into the centre for Tomane to bullet in a header for the equaliser.

 

A similar pattern of play emerged in the 2^nd half, but I have to say that the Samsun defence was shocking and often caught out by Gencler breakaways.    Also, their crosses into the box were woeful and generally cleared by the Gencler defenders.      Luckily for them that Gencler wasn’t clinical in their finishing otherwise the score line could have been different  !!

 

Next up for Gencler is a home match against Boluspor next Sunday.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Istanbulspor 0-1 Ankaragucu - Match Report

Ankaragucu brought all 3 points back to the Capital after another good win in Istanbul last night. The team have now went 4 games without conceding a goal and a lot of that is to do with the brilliant Yusuf Abdioglu, Akin Alkan and Erdem Ozgenc.

Team - Akin, Erdem, Sinan, Yusuf, Pinto, Abdullah, Ishak, Ali Kaan, Gboly, Murat, Eren

Subs - Mert, Erdi, Mahmut, Ulas, Aatif, Atakan, Zahid, Geraldo, Nadir, Sitiki Ferdi

Mustafa Dalci went with the same team that won at Gencler last weekend as the team now starts to take shape. 

The first chance of the match came on the 14th minute as Muammer saw his shot from outside of the box go wide for the home side. Three minutes later Ankaragucu had a chance at the other side but Gbolys cross was behind Yusuf who headed wide. 

Just after that Abdullah gave the ball away in midfield to Valon who shot from distance but Akin saved comfortably. 

On the 25th minute Istanbulspor had a big chance to take the lead after Ibrahim set up Kagan who shot inches wide of the post. Five minutes later at the other end Abdullah crossed for Eren who saw his shot well saved from Alperen. 

A minute later and Alperen was called into action again with a great double save. First from an excellent Ali Kaan volley, and then he reacted quickly to the Eren rebound. The match was end to end now and Valon beat Erdem before shooting wide for the home side.

Thiago Pinto then brilliantly set up Ishak but he got his shot all wrong and fired well wide of the post from a good position. 

Then came the opening goal on the 39th minute. Excellent play from Gboly who skipped past his man in the box but Patrick brought him down and the referee awarded a penalty. Up stepped Eren Derdiyok to make it 2 goals in 2 games and give Ankaragucu the lead. 

Half Time - 0-1

Gboly had the first chance of the second half when he cut inside but his shot was well saved by Alperen. On the 56th minute Erdem had a free kick from 30 yards also well saved by Alperen. 

A minute later some nice play down the right from Murat to set up Ali Kaan but he shot wide and should have done better. 

Istanbulspor almost got back into the game in the 66th minute when a cross into the box was sneaking in at the back post but for a brilliant save from Akin. 

Ali Yasar had a chance near the end but his shot was saved by Akin, and then Aatif had a chance to finish it when he had two men in space but decided to go alone and was to slow to get his shot away as the defender got back to block. 

Ankaragucu 1-0 winners in the end and another good result which see the team sitting in 3rd behind leaders Umraniyespor and Eyupspor. 

Some excellent performances with Yusuf and Erdem in particular showing their value at this level. The only criticism i would have is the insistence in giving Geraldo an opportunity. He still hasnt registered a single goal or assist in his Ankaragucu career and was hopeless again last night. It would be better to give Atakan Dama a chance in the team. 

Next up is Menemen on Monday night, another difficult game but with the home crowd behind them Ankaragucu should be well up for it. 

GENCLERBIRLIGI BACK IN BUSINESS !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler recorded their first win of the season tonight with an impressive win against a surprisingly poor Altinordu team.

 

Altinordu started like they intended to heap more misery on Gencler’s season, but Gencler slowly eased themselves into the match and dominated the 2^nd half.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI        3                     Altinordu        2

 

Team – Ramazan was scheduled to start, but his No2 started, Omurcan, Gokhan, Mert, Kerem, Baris, Hrechyshkin, Aktas, Tshibola, Lima and Eleke

 

Altinordu opened the scoring in the 14^th minute when Ali Dere benefitted from a deflection off one of his teammates and had time to choose his spot with a fierce shot on the left inside the right post.

 

The equaliser arrived in the 25^th minute when a long ball inside the Gencler half was played to Baris on the right.   He outpaced the defender and shot through the goalkeeper’s legs showing great skill and a cool head.

 

3 minutes later and a similar move involving Umurcan, but his final shot went narrowly past the right post.

 

 The 2^nd half was only 2 minutes old when Altinordu more or less presented Gencler with their 2^nd goal from blunders galore in their defence.   The ball was crossed into the penalty box from the left and chaos ensued.   Eleke was surrounded by 4 defenders but latched onto a loose ball and fired in with all 4 defenders looking at each other with accusing eyes   !!

 

Half way through the 2^nd half, and following an Altinordu corner, Gencler broke away at speed with the ball played out to the half way line.    It was then played out to the left and the cut-back made for the inrushing Lima to score and easy goal with the Altinordu defence totally caught out.

 

With Gencler dictating play it was a surprise when Altinordu grabbed a 2^nd goal with 10 minutes to go.   It was a goal out of nothing with Ahmet receiving a pass on the 18 yard line.   He looked up, spotted the goalkeeper well off his line, and sent in a shot just under the bar.

 

The equaliser didn’t arrive and Altinordu can have no complaints after a poor 2^nd half performance.

 

There was late drama with 2 Red Cards for Altinordu and 1 for Gencler which didn’t affect the final score.

 

Gencler travel to Samsun next on Sunday, and it goes without saying that they won’t have as easy a match as they had tonight.      However, with Gencler, you never know what they will do next   !!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Istanbulspor vs Ankaragucu match preview!

 

Mustafa Dalci will take his Ankaragucu team to Istanbul on Thursday looking to take all 3 points against Istanbulspor. Dalci was Manager of Istanbulspor last season guiding them to the playoffs after he left his position at Ankaragucu. 

After a good win over Genclerbirligi in the Derby on Sunday, confidence will be high in the Ankaragucu dressing room. The first half performance in particular would have been pleasing for Dalci who has come under a lot of pressure from the fans. 

Erdem Ozgenc and Ali Kaan were the standout performers on Sunday and are both becoming key players for the club. Erdem in his 2nd spell with the club is defying the odds at 37 years old the way he gets up and down the pitch. While Ali Kaan is showing the kind of performances that have some him become a regular in the Turkey U19 National team.

Murat Ucar and Ishak Cakmak are also becoming important players for the team with their work rate and energy. Abdullah and Eren will have benefited from the minutes they both played as they look to gain match fitness. 

The 2nd half against Gencler was a bit stale after the changes that were made. Both Aatif and Zahid are still quite a bit away from match fitness but overall their were glimpses of potential in the team when everyone is fit. 

The last time the two sides met was back in 2018 as Ankaragucu won 2-1 thanks to a Lanre Kehinde winner in Istanbul. That goal turned out to be one of the turning points for Ankaragucu in their bid for promotion. Thursdays match could be equally as important even at this early part of the season.

After defeats against Manisa KF and Urmaniyespor, Istanbulspor followed up with a good 3-0 win against Altinordu at the weekend under new Manager Osman Zeki Korkmaz who incidently was Ankaragucu Assistant Manager under Ismail Kartal in the Super Lig.

They will likely play a 4-3-3 formation with Valon Ethemi and Ibrahim Yilmaz their key players. They will be looking to take all 3 points from the match and build on their win against Altinordu. As the games come thick and fast there are no easy games in this Division. 

It will be interesting to see how Ankargucu line up. Will the likes of Erdem, Eren and Abdullah be able to play 2 quick games in succession. Or will their be opportunities for Nadir Cifci and others to step up. Owusu is still out and will likely return for the Menemen game next Monday. 

As usual, we will have all the latest team news and match report here and on our Twitter page. 

Saldir Ankaragucu!!!

ANKARAGUCU WIN THE ANKARA BRAGGING RIGHTS !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu deservedly won the first Ankara Derby of the season last night after two well taken goals in the 1^st half, and to be honest, Gencler never looked likely to stage a fight back, especially in the 1^st half when they were overwhelmed.     However, although they saw more of the ball in the 2^nd half, Gencler didn’t record a shot on target in the entire match  !!

 

ANKARAGUCU            2                   Genclerbirligi            0

 

Team – Akin, Erdem, Yusuf, Sinan, Pinto, Abdullah, Ishak, Ali Kaan, Murat, Aytiribi and Eren

 

Substitutes – Cifci, Zahid, Geraldo, Aatif and Ulas

 

The Kankas, Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Kaleci Kanka Tansu, Haluk and I, met up in the Bira Park Bar to watch on the big screen which was our first get-together for many months.     Hopefully we will be able to continue watching the matches together without further restrictions  ?!

 

The match started with Ankaragucu looking the more purposeful side and their pressure paid off in the 13^th minute with a goal from a surprising source.    Ayiribi was brought down outside the penalty box on the left.    The free kick was floated to the back post where the ball was headed into the centre, but it was cleared to the back post again.   The ball was sent back into the centre where it was met by Sinan who shot powerfully in, despite being surrounded by players of both teams.

 

8 minutes later and the 2^nd goal arrived and it was a classic goal out of the training manual  !     Ali Kaan sent in a cross from outside the penalty box on the right with what can only be described as a perfect pass to Eren in the centre inside the penalty box and he struck the ball on the volley for his first goal for Ankaragucu  !

 

Gencler only had one real chance to salvage something from the match in the 2^nd half, but with the goal at his mercy the Gencler attacker ballooned the ball over the bar.

 

Ankaragucu had 2 chances in the 2^nd half to kill the match off.     Firstly, a shot from outside the penalty box hit the post and was cleared, and secondly, the Gencler goalkeeper made a great save to deflect a goal bound shot over the bar for a corner.

 

Gencler is stuck at the bottom of the league along with Bursaspor on 1 point and in danger of being cut adrift if they don’t start picking up points.    They will be at home to mid-table Altinordu on Wednesday night followed by a difficult journey to Samsun next Sunday.

 

Ankaragucu move up to 5^th top in the league and confidence will be high for the trip to play Istanbulspor on Thursday evening.    Ankaragucu will then be at home next Monday evening against Menemen.

 

An excellent attacking team performance last night by Ankaragucu and a special mention for Erdem who has grown in stature since he was awarded the Captain’s armband.    He had been a commanding figure in defence and that was something which was badly missed last season.

 

As always, watch this space for news of both teams forthcoming matches.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ankaragucu vs Genclerbirligi - Ankara Debry preview!

 

Before we look ahead to Sundays Derby, Ankaragucu have this afternoon confirmed the signings of  Ghayas Zahid and Nadir Cifci ahead of tonight's transfer deadline. 

Zahid is a Norwegian midfielder who can play in the Number 8 and Number 10 position and is seen as something of a coup for the club especially at this level. He has been capped twice by Norway and has played the last couple of seasons in Cyprus with APOEL and Greece with Panathanikos. The club have been trying to sign him for 12 months now and will be delighted to finally get their man. 

Nadir Cifci is a striker who had a successful spell in Scotland with Dundee United back in 2013-15 which saw him win a move to Celtic. Things didn't work out there and since then he has moved from club to club without much success. His time at Genclerbirligi a couple of years ago is the only season he has scored double figures. 

Mustafa Dalci will be hoping both are available for Sundays match with Genclerbirligi but will need to assess their fitness first. 

Last time out Ankaragucu were convincing 3-0 winners at Denizlispor thanks to impressive performances from Erdem Ozgenc and Ali Kaan. Their were positives from that match in the amount of chances the team created and the performance in particular of Ali Kaan who will now hopefully go on and show why he is rated so highly. 

Despite the positives, Denizlispor still had chances and looked like one of the weakest teams in the league. They have made a lot of new signings so will be hoping their fortunes change in the coming weeks. It was a difficult match to judge how much of an improvement Ankaragucu made. Sundays match with Gencler should give us more of an idea.

Gboly Ayiribi made his debut last week and will be hoping to get more minutes under his belt to add to his fitness. He had a couple of good chances against Denizli but failed to take them and that is a part of his game he will need to work on. With his movement and pace he will get chances at this level but needs to take them. Kwabena Owusu will miss out again due to injury but should be back for the next game.

Yusuf and Sinan will likely again start as the centre back pairing. Yusuf has played well in the first couple of games but Sinan still looks dodgy and suspect to pace which Gencler will look to exploit. Pinto and Erdem will play either side on at the full back positions.

Huseyin Acar was one of the clubs big signings in the summer but so far he has failed to deliver the level of performance he is capable of. That is down to the shape he is in, he needs to drop some body fat and improve his fitness levels. Alongside Ali Kaan they could be a very good pairing for Ankaragucu in the middle of the park. 

Aatif and Zahid will be the two midfielders expected to create and make things happen in the final 3rd of the pitch. Aatif is another who is a long way from match fitness along with Abdullah Durak. Zahid hasnt played this season so will also take some time to adapt.

The striker position Eren Derdiyok has failed to register a single shot on goal in his Ankargucu career and now has Nadir Cifci to compete with. If Nadir is fit he should go straight into the starting line up on Sunday and hopefully put one over his former team.

Genclerbirligi warmed up for the match with 3-0 friendly win at Konyaspor at the weekend. They have only taken 1 point from their opening 3 games but have also made a number of new signings in the summer who need time to adapt. 

The last time the two sides me was in the TSYD Ankara cup in the summer which Genclerbirligi won. Ankaragucu will be hoping to come out on top on Sunday though in a match that is already at this early stage an important match for both sides.

The game kicks off at 3pm Turkish time and will be live again on TRT Spor!