Türkiye seeks away victory against Latvia

Turkish national football team travels to Latvia on June 16, hoping to put its Euro 2024 qualifying campaign back on track.

Türkiye started the qualification stage with a 2-1 win over Armenia in its opening game of Group D, however, a 2-0 loss at home against group favorite Croatia means a win over Latvia will be crucial before hosting Wales on June 19.

Hamit Altıntop, a Turkish Football Federation (TFF) board member in charge of the national team, noted that it will be a tough match.

"We spent four days together in Türkiye, and we have two more days to prepare here," Altıntop told reporters upon the team's arrival in Riga on June 14.

"We prepare in the best way. Every game is difficult. Latvia is a good team in terms of physics and air balls, but we will try to play our football here. We know how serious the situation is. The goal is to go to Germany in 2024, and the matches are getting fewer."

Altıntop is also aware of the pressure on him and coach Stefan Kuntz.

"We have been with the team for 20 months, it has been a bumpy ride, but we believe we are on the right track," he said.

"If you want to make a revolution, these ups and downs are natural. Along the way, you have to make the right analysis and corrections. We emphasize this. We are full of faith, we believe that this national team can be one of the most important national teams in history if it can reflect the performance we want on the field."

Winger Zeki Çelik, who plays for AS Roma, said the team is focused on the target of qualifying for Euro 2024.

"Because I think we have the strength and experience to do it," he said. "I also think the group we are playing in is a good one for us. The next game against Latvia is very important. We have...