For the debut as national coach of Turkey there was a 1-1 draw against Norway. Stefan Kuntz has to show a success already in the second game – the pressure from the public is great.
The expectation was huge, at least the disappointment was great. This may Stefan Kuntz read in the newspaper in black and white after his debut as the coach of the Turkish national soccer team.
Just a few reactions at a glance:
Fanatics (sports newspaper): “The German vaccine didn’t work”
Aksam Spor (sports newspaper): “All WM-Dreams have burst “
Hürriyet (daily newspaper): “We missed a great opportunity”
The reason: In their first appearance with Kuntz on the sidelines, Turkey played 1-1 against Norway at home. The prospects of qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar have continued to decline, the “little miracle” that Kuntz said it needed has turned into a bigger one. The current situation in qualifying group G: With three games still to go, the Netherlands are leaders with 16 points, ahead of Norway (14) and Turkey (12). Montenegro lurks directly behind (11 points).
In order to keep the tender plant of hope alive at all, the former German U21 success coach with Turkey needs a victory in Latvia today (from 8.45 p.m. in the live ticker at t-online). Not only that: In the other qualifying games against Gibraltar and Montenegro in November, the team cannot afford to slip up, they have to win. But that’s not all: Only if Norway loses in the last three games will Kuntz and his team still have a chance at the desert World Cup.
“There is a lack of self-confidence”
The match between the Scandinavians on the last day of the match (November 16) in the Netherlands could be the key game. However, Kuntz must not look that far ahead, the obvious shortcomings of his own selection preoccupy him. “There is still uncertainty in the team, there is a lack of self-confidence,” said Kuntz: “If you lose your strength, you can’t completely prevent Norway from having chances.”
Everything had started so well for Kuntz in front of the frenetic fans in Istanbul. After eight minutes, Kerem Aktürkoglu took the lead and Turkey was suddenly in second place in Group G, which is enough for the playoffs. But Norway, that on Dortmund’s star striker Erling Haaland had to do without, made up for by Kristian Thorstvedt (41st).
And the game in Latvia will be anything but a sure-fire success. In the first leg at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, then under coach Senol Günes, Turkey lost a 3-1 lead. It was a bitter setback after the furious start to the qualification with victories over the Netherlands (4: 2) and Norway (3: 0) – and the beginning of Günes’ end.
At the European Championships, Turkey was eliminated with zero points and only one goal, in the Netherlands it was a 1: 6 swatter in September. A lot of work awaits Kuntz – he doesn’t have much time.
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