Türkiye seeks away victory against Latvia

ISTANBUL

Turkish national football team travels to Latvia on June 16, hoping to put its Euro 2024 qualifying campaign back on track.

Türkiye started the qualification stage with a 2-1 win over Armenia in its opening game of Group D, however, a 2-0 loss at home against group favorite Croatia means a win over Latvia will be crucial before hosting Wales on June 19.

Hamit Altıntop, a Turkish Football Federation (TFF) board member in charge of the national team, noted that it will be a tough match.

“We spent four days together in Türkiye, and we have two more days to prepare here,” Altıntop told reporters upon the team’s arrival in Riga on June 14.

“We prepare in the best way. Every game is difficult. Latvia is a good team in terms of physics and air balls, but we will try to play our football here. We know how serious the situation is. The goal is to go to Germany in 2024, and the matches are getting fewer.”

Altıntop is also aware of the pressure on him and coach Stefan Kuntz.

“We have been with the team for 20 months, it has been a bumpy ride, but we believe we are on the right track,” he said.

“If you want to make a revolution, these ups and downs are natural. Along the way, you have to make the right analysis and corrections. We emphasize this. We are full of faith, we believe that this national team can be one of the most important national teams in history if it can reflect the performance we want on the field.”

Winger Zeki Çelik, who plays for AS Roma, said the team is focused on the target of qualifying for Euro 2024.

“Because I think we have the strength and experience to do it,” he said. “I also think the group we are playing in is a good one for us. The next game against Latvia is very important. We have to get the three points on the road. After that, we want to win the game against Wales in Samsun. I really believe that we will qualify for the European Championship.“

Meanwhile, talk of Kylian Mbappe’s possible departure from Paris Saint-Germain has resurfaced in recent days and dominated headlines in France after the striker told his club he would not extend his contract beyond next year.

France coach Didier Deschamps will hope Mbappe can remain focused for another few days as last year’s World Cup runner-up goes to Portugal to play Gibraltar and then hosts Greece in Group B.

“It has created a buzz and is on the front page of the papers, but we can’t control that,” France’s Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate said on June 14.

“He has not changed with us. He is just the same, as joyful as ever and teasing people. I have not seen a change in his behavior.”

England enjoyed a superb start in Group C as it won 2-1 in Italy in March and then defeated Ukraine. It will now be expected to keep up its perfect record and pull away from Italy, who are at the Nations League finals.

England is away to Malta, a team ranked fourth-last in Europe, on June 16 before hosting North Macedonia at Old Trafford.