[79579] Turkish national team defeats North Macedonia on the way to the World Cup: Match summary and preparations

Turkey defeats North Macedonia in a World Cup preparation match

The Turkish national football team began its preparations for the upcoming World Cup tournament with a convincing 4-0 victory over the North Macedonia national team. The match, held at the Çobani Stadium in Istanbul, served as a platform to test lineups ahead of the tournament, as reported by the channel FENERBAHÇE HABERLERİ.

According to the report by Sputnik Türkiye, the goals for the Turks were scored by Orkun Kökçü (1st minute), Can Uzun (15th minute), Deniz Gül (52nd minute), and Gürkan Alper Yılmaz (69th minute). The performance was described by A Haber as a "football recital" and a "successfully passed test," highlighting the integration of the new stars into Vincenzo Montella's squad.

Alongside the professional result, reports were published regarding the final squad for the World Cup. According to Haluk Yürekli, several prominent names were left out of the professional plans, including Ersin Destanoğlu, Ahmetcan Kaplan, and Yusuf Akçiçek. The squad issue sparked great interest in the Turkish media, with media outlets associated with Fenerbahçe fans, such as 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗵ç𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗵𝘂, dedicating special attention to the non-call-up of Akçiçek.

Coach Montella used the match to make numerous substitutions in the second half, including integrating players like İrfan Can Kahveci and Kaan Ayhan, to test the depth of the squad. The expectation now in Turkey is for the official announcement of the full squad for the World Cup, a move that GALATASARAY BAŞAKŞEHİR CANLI notes will be accompanied by special content in honor of the legends of the 2002 team.