selçuk free-kick sends turkey to euro 2016 published: tuesday 13 october 2015, 23.30cet turkey 1-0 ıceland turkey were heading for the play-offs with a minute left – until selçuk inan curled in a free-kick that took them through as the best third-placed team.
turkey qualify for uefa euro 2016 as the best third-placed team their win, coupled with kazakhstan beating latvia, takes fatih terim's men through selçuk inan scores the only goal, an 89th-minute free-kick, in konya ıceland finish as runners-up in group a behind czech republic
selçuk inan's superb late free-kick gave turkey a dramatic win over ıceland, meaning they could celebrate uefa euro 2016 qualification as the best third-placed team.
with fatih terim's men set for the play-offs on 89 minutes, selçuk sent an unstoppable set piece past ıceland goalkeeper ögmundur kristinsson to hand turkey victory on a night when pretty much everything went their way. the ensuing 1-0 success confirmed their presence at the uefa european championship in france, eight years after their last appearance.
ın the knowledge that the czech republic were beating their rivals for third position in group a, the netherlands, turkey risked everything in the latter stages, with kazakhstan's win in latvia helping to ensure terim and co's progress to next summer's tournament.
victory certainly did not come easily in konya, with turkey playing the last 12 minutes with ten men after gökhan töre was sent off for a heavy tackle on jón dadi bödvarsson.
although the hosts boasted the class of arda turan, hakan çalhanoğlu, oğuzhan özyakup and volkan şen, they appeared to miss the finishing touch of an out-and-out striker, thus failing to turn neat passing into presentable chances.
however, their eventual triumph will have tasted even sweeter after selçuk's memorable free-kick – his third goal in turkey's last four games – sealed uefa euro 2016 qualification amid jubilant scenes.
