Former captain Marissa Callaghan expressed her belief that Turkey’s striker Busem Seker “should have been sent off” after she controversially handled the ball before scoring the decisive goal in their 2-1 triumph over Northern Ireland.
As Michael McArdle’s squad found themselves 1-0 down in the closing moments of a lackluster first half in Istanbul, the game came to life when Seker handled Fi Morgan’s shot on target right on the goal line.
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Referee Alexandra Collin immediately awarded a penalty, and Northern Ireland anticipated a red card to follow. However, the French official opted for a yellow instead, leaving the visitors and Callaghan, who was co-commentary for the crucial World Cup qualifier, understandably frustrated.
Their anger intensified just after the second half began when Seker scored the winning goal by heading in Selen Altunkulak’s cross, securing Turkey the vital three points and second place in Group B2.
“She absolutely should have been sent off for that – she saved it with her hand,” Callaghan stated on BBC iPlayer.
“It’s a clear handball; it seemed like she thought she was in the net for a moment. That’s a penalty all day long.
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“You could see the relief on her face [when she received a yellow card]. It’s complete madness.”
‘I felt someone touch me’ – Seker
After the match, Seker remarked that she had lost her balance leading up to the penalty incident and praised Turkey’s mental resilience following Megan Bell’s penalty.
With this goal, the 27-year-old has now scored eight times for her country, positioning Turkey just three points behind group leaders Switzerland, who hold a significantly better goal difference.
“I haven’t had the chance to review the footage yet, but I’ll have a look. I had this sensation that someone touched me, causing me to lose my balance and reflexively fall,” the Fenerbahce striker said.
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“But I could be mistaken; I’ll have to watch it again. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal right after that. Once they scored, they gained some confidence.
“We maintained our composure, believing we would find a second goal. Ultimately, we left with three points.”