Turkey sail into 2nd round

By Jerry Asiegbu

Turkey, yesterday, beat Costa Rica 4-1 to berth in the round of sixteen in a match that was rescheduled because of the heavy downpour Wednesday which paralysed proceedings at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The match had gone 21 minutes before centre referee Jerome Damon from South Africa called it off due to waterlogged pitch. The Enugu LOC and volunteers had to cut the astro turf to drain flood from the pitch. The artificial turf was virtually floating on water, exposing the poor job done by the contractors.

FIFA decided that the match be played afresh. The pitch which turned out of taste, however, could not dampen the determination of Turkey to pocket their second win, having beaten  Burkina Faso in their first match.
Turkey took the lead as early as the third minute through striker Omer Ali. The hard fighting Costa Ricans fought back, looking for the leveller, but were demoralised when Muhammet Demir slotted the second goal for Turkey on the 33rd minute.

Turkey came back with another goal in the 42nd minute from a free kick within Costa Rica’s 25 yards from Engin Bekdemir.  Costa Rica pulled one back two minutes later through Jonathan Moya. The first half ended 3-1. On the resumption of the second half, Turkey looked more relaxed and in control of the game till the 70th minute when Gokay Iravul made it four for Turkey.