On Thursday afternoon, a Turkish commentator was fired during halftime of Morocco’s World Cup Group F match against Canada.
Alper Bakircigil was covering the Morocco vs Canada game for Turkish stations TRT. As Hakim Ziyech gave Morocco the lead in the fourth minute of the game, the commentator informed his viewers that the Chelsea star’s goal was not the fastest in the world cup, mentioning that Hakan Sukur holds the record for the fastest goal in world cup history.
This did not seem to go down well with his bosses, however, as he was substituted during the first-half break and was later sacked.
On Twitter, the commenter posted a goodbye message. The since-deleted tweet read (quoted by Tuttosprt via Goal):
“I was cut off from the TRT institution, where I proudly worked for many years, after the event that took place today. Separation is included in love. I hope to see you again. Bye..”
The reason for the dismissal is said to be the mention of Hakan Sukur’s name on Turkish television.
Sukur was a huge star in Turkey during his career, scoring 51 goals in 112 appearances. The former Inter Milan and Galatasary striker scored the fastest goal in tournament history scoring 11 seconds into the game during the 2002 World Cup.
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However, after retiring, he entered politics and was later linked to terrorism. He and his family fled to the United States of America after being accused of playing a key role in Turkey’s failed coup attempt in 2016.
