Iceland 2-1 Turkey: Senol Gunes Loses First Game Since Taking Charge Of National Team

Turkey's coach Senol Gunes gestures during the Euro 2020 football qualification match between Turkey and France at the Buyuksehir Belediyesi stadium in Konya, on June 8, 2019. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey suffered their first defeat of the Senol Gunes era, losing 2-1 in Iceland at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium.

The Crescent-Stars headed into the game in high spirits having won their previous five games including a surprise win over France in Konya last Saturday.

Turkey only had three days preparation after beating the French and complained about being held for unnecessarily long in customs.

And then there was brushgate which almost sparked a mini-international crisis.

The Turkish media reported Emre Belozoglu was disrespected at the airport by an Icelandic journalist who held a toilet brush to the team captain.

A mini-diplomatic crisis was averted after it emerged that the guy holding the brush was a tourist from Belgium who was actually just joking around.

It was Iceland who ended up brushing Turkey away on the pitch. Everton star Gylfi Sigurdsson put his side ahead on 21 minutes, doubled his tally soon after and Iceland could easily have scored more before half-time.

Turkey looked jaded, unprepared and devoid of a game plan until Dorukhan Tokoz scored a looping header before half-time.

It is worth pointing out that Turkey were missing several key players, including Cengiz Under, Okay Yokuslu, Cenk Tosun and Mahmut Tekdemir, but it is still no excuse for just how poor the team performed.

Perhaps match fatigue and injuries did play a role. But the team looked mentally, physically and tactically unready for Iceland.

Group H is starting to turn into a three-horse race with France, Turkey and Iceland tied on nine points after four games