AP
Nihat Kahveci was already in the a habit of scoring decisive goals for Turkey. No Turkish fans in their wildest dreams could have been prepared for what he did Sunday night.
The striker scored two goals in three minutes late in the match against the Czech Republic to finish off an incredible comeback, giving Turkey a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic for a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals.
Nihat profited from an unlikely blunder from Petr Cech, one of the worldâs greatest goalkeepers, who fumbled a simple cross in the 87th minute. He put the loose ball into the unguarded net to tie it.
With the game seemingly heading for a penalty shootout, the Czech defense fell apart and Nihat scored the decider with a precise inside-foot shot that bounced off the crossbar and into the goal two minutes later.
“Seeing the ball in the nets and knowing that the goal was bringing a win and the quarterfinals, it was an unbelievable feeling,â Nihat said.
He should have grown used to it. Nihat scored the winning goals in the two decisive qualifying games that sent Turkey to Euro 2008. On Sunday, he gave Turkey its biggest victory since reaching the semifinals at the 2002 World Cup.