Football: Turkey starts 2022 World Cup journey in quals

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish national team will take on the Netherlands in their opening game of the European Qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The match will be held at 8 p.m local time (1700 GMT) at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Wednesday, officiated by English referee Michael Oliver.

In the other Group G games, Latvia will face Montenegro while Norway will meet Gibraltar.

Turkey played 586 matches so far, including 313 official matches, as they recorded 222 wins, 140 draws and 224 defeats.

Having scored a total of 775 goals, Turkey conceded 837 goals in these 586 matches.

Turkey squad:

Goalkeepers: Mert Gunok (Medipol Basaksehir), Ugurcan Cakir (Trabzonspor), Altay Bayindir (Fenerbahce), Gokhan Akkan (Caykur Rizespor)

Defenders: Zeki Celik (Lille), Nazim Sangare, Caner Erkin (Fenerbahce), Merih Demiral (Juventus), Ozan Kabak (Liverpool), Mert Muldur, Kaan Ayhan (Sassuolo), Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester City), Umut Meras (Le Havre)

Midfielders: Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich Albion), Taylan Antalyali, Emre Kilinc (Galatasaray), Dorukhan Tokoz (Besiktas), Ozan Tufan, Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce), Orkun Kokcu (Feyenoord), Yusuf Yazici (Lille), Halil Akbunar (Goztepe), Hakan Calhanoglu (AC Milan), Deniz Turuc (Medipol Basaksehir)

Forwards: Burak Yilmaz (Lille), Enes Unal (Getafe), Kenan Karaman (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Cenk Tosun (Besiktas)