Uğurcan Çakır on Paraguay match: 'We raised expectations with our performance, but...'

Turkey's national football team suffered a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match, effectively ending their hopes of progressing from the group stage.

Following the disappointing result, national team goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır issued a heartfelt apology to the Turkish public. "I apologize to our country. We wanted to make them proud but we couldn't," Çakır stated, expressing deep regret that the team had fallen short of the significant expectations placed upon them.

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I apologize to our country. We wanted to make them proud but we couldn't. There was great expectation, we fell short of expectations! I also apologize to those who came here. There is nothing to talk about the match. My teammates wanted it very much, we fought very hard.

Çakır acknowledged that the team's prior performances had created a sense of anticipation and raised the bar for their subsequent matches. "We raised expectations with what we did, but we fell short of the expectations," he said, reflecting on both the Paraguay match and earlier games in the tournament.

Despite the setback, the goalkeeper remained hopeful about the team's future. "We will lift our heads. We have young and good players. We will lift our heads. We will try to make our country proud," he added, signaling a determination to regroup and build for future competitions with the available young talent.

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We raised expectations with what we did, but we fell short of the expectations. What happened in the first match, what happened in this match... Fate is also important. We will lift our heads. We have young and good players. We will lift our heads. We will try to make our country proud.