Turkey’s chance of World Cup Qualification is hanging by a thread, as Norway produce a second-half comeback. Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s early strike is cancelled out by Norway’s Kristian Thorstvedt!

Norway held Turkey to a 1-1 draw last night in Istanbul. This is a result that could prove costly for the hosts in their bid to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Turkey now remain two points behind their opponents and four behind the Netherlands in Group G.

Stefan Kuntz’s Turkey side had a fine start to the game. With the clock showing just 6 minutes at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Olympique Marseille man Cengiz Ünder found Kerem Aktürkoğlu deep inside the Norway box. The winger couldn’t miss, and he calmly passed the ball into the Norway net!

Norway then equalised just before the half-time break. After a short corner routine between Martin Odegaard and Jens Petter Hauge, Andreas Hanche-Olsen nodded the ball on beautifully and Kristian Thorstvedt was the man to finish for Ståle Solbakken’s Norway outfit!

Both teams hit the woodwork and missed decent chances in the first half, but the second 45 minutes had a slower tempo and both teams produced fewer chances.

The Dutch top Group G with 16 points from seven matches, Norway are in second on 14 points. Turkey are third with 12 and will be desperately hoping to take all 3 points from their trip to Latvia on Monday.

Before the match, the Norway players unfurled a banner reading ‘Fair play for migrant workers’. This was part of a protest against World Cup hosts Qatar, over their treatment of the workers involved in the construction of stadiums for next year’s tournament.