Orkun Kökcü was very important for Turkey on Tuesday evening. The midfielder, who came in at halftime, decided the World Cup qualifier against Montenegro (1-2) with a shot from distance. With that win, Turkey qualified for the play-offs. The Feyenoord player can count on many compliments.
The Turkish daily newspaper Fanatic describes Kökcü as ‘the young star’ of the Turkish national team. Turkey’s national coach, Stefan Kuntz, has been giving young talents a chance since his arrival and has remained unbeaten in his first four international matches as national coach (three wins and one draw). “Kuntz brings determination and has completely restored the optimism in the Turkish squad,” the daily added.
Also Sabah saw a clear turnaround in the game after Kökcü came in. “Orkun’s entry in the second half had a menthol effect on Hakan Çalhanoglu,” the Turkish newspaper reported. Kökcü is happy with his goal and the win, but expects a tough play-offs. “We have a tough opponent waiting for us. But we have to be ready. There will be strong opponents at the World Cup anyway, so the play-offs should not be an excuse. The coach told me that, just like in the game against Gibraltar, I had to find the combination with Çalhanoglu to force a goal. I’m glad it worked.”
