Gokhan Earns First Cap for Milli Takim

Gokhan Earns First Cap for Milli Takim
Four Other Fener Footballers Earn Call
By Nathan L. Redd

Gokhan Gonul has been playing exceptional futbol for Fenerbahce recently, and Turkiye's National Coach Fatih Terim has noticed. Terim called Gokhan for his first cap appearance for the upcoming EURO 2008 qualifiers against Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Gokhan Gonul will join four other Fenerbahce footballers on the national squad, including Mehmet Aurelio, Volkan Demirel, Deniz Baris, and Semih Senturk. In addition to Gokhan, four other previously-uncapped players will make their first appearance.

After a tremendous start in EURO 2008 qualifying, Turkiye has slipped into a long slump and currently sits in third place in Group C. They are two points behind Norway, who they will face in Oslo on November 17th. Four days later they'll take on Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Turkiye's full squad for the two games is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Volkan Demiel (Fenerbahçe SK), Rüştü Reçber (Beşiktaş JK), Serkan Kırıntılı (MKE Ankaragücü).

Defenders: Servet Çetin (Galatasaray AS), Hakan Balta (Galatasaray AS), Sedat Bayrak (Sivasspor), Hayrettin Yerlikaya (Sivasspor), Emre Aşık (Ankaraspor AS), İbrahim Kaş (Beşiktaş JK), Hamit Altıntop (FC Bayern München), Gökhan Gönül (Fenerbahçe SK), Deniz Barış (Fenerbahçe SK).

Midfielders: Arda Turan (Galatasaray AS), Mehmet Aurélio (Fenerbahçe SK), Gökdeniz Karadeniz (Trabzonspor), Emre Belözoğlu (Newcastle United FC), Mehmet Topuz (Kayserispor), Yıldıray Baştürk (VfB Stuttgart).

Forwards: Mehmet Yıldız (Sivasspor), Semih Şentürk (Fenerbahçe SK), Nihat Kahveci (Villarreal CF), Tuncay Şanlı (Middlesbrough FC), Fatih Tekke (FC Zenit), Serhat Akın (RSC Anderlecht).