Our U19 National Football Team advances to the elite round

The U19 National Football Team defeated Greece 1-0 in their final match of the UEFA European Championship Qualifying Round Group 8.

In the match played at the Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex in the Manavgat district of Antalya, the goal for the crescent-stars was scored by Semih Kılıçsoy in the 45+1st minute.

In the other match of the group, Lithuania defeated Belarus 2-0.

Having defeated Lithuania in their first group match and Belarus in their second with scores of 3-1, the U19 National Football Team finished the group as leaders with 9 points. Following these results, the crescent-stars advanced to the elite round. The young national players celebrated their advancement to the elite round after the match.

Among the other teams in the group, all of which had 3 points, Lithuania finished second on goal difference, Greece third, and Belarus last.

New goal is to finish the elite round as leaders

U19 National Football Team Head Coach Soykan Başar stated in his post-match remarks to the press that they finished the group as leaders with 9 points by winning all 3 matches, just as they had targeted.

Congratulating his players and expressing their joy at advancing to the elite round, Başar said:

"We have been working with these lions since they were 14-15 years old. I salute their efforts. This squad consists of players born in 2005 who went to the U17 European Championship in Israel. Now, as the U19 National Team, they played well in all 3 matches. We finished the group as leaders and will participate in the draw from the first pot. The elite round is very important for us. Representing our country there as champions makes us proud."

Başar stated that their next goal is to finish the elite round as leaders as well and qualify for the 2024 U19 European Championship finals to be held in Northern Ireland.

In addition to the teams that finished in the top two spots in the 13 groups, the best third-placed team and Portugal, which is ranked first, will take part in the elite round in the spring of 2024.

The 7 teams that finish their groups as leaders in the elite round, along with the host Northern Ireland, will face each other in the finals in the summer of 2024. Host Northern Ireland will participate directly in the finals in the summer of 2024.