Nkufo double sinks Fenerbahçe
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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Fenerbahçe SK 1-2 FC Twente
The Dutch side recovered from a goal down to defeat Fenerbahçe in Group H thanks to two Blaise Nkufo strikes in the final 15 minutes.
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FC Twente recovered from a goal down to defeat Fenerbahçe SK in UEFA Europa League Group H thanks to two goals in the final 15 minutes from Swiss striker Blaise Nkufo.
Quick turnaround
Nkufo quickly wiped out Mehmet Topuz's 71st-minute free-kick and then, with ten minutes left, struck the winner to the dismay of the 30,000 crowd inside the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. The three points mean Steve McClaren's side have the sole leadership of the section after Matchday 1 following a draw between FC Steaua Bucureşti and FC Sheriff in the other opener.
Home threat
The hosts were the first to threaten on 15 minutes when Kazım Kazım tested Sander Boschker and, moments later, Daniel Güiza headed over following Gökhan Gönül's dart inside from the right. Miroslav Stoch was proving Twente's most likely source of inspiration yet both sides were finding opportunities hard to come by as the half drew to a close.
Maiden goal
The Canaries were quickly into their stride after the restart with Roberto Carlos forcing Boschker into action from a tight angle and then Alex heading wide after Gökhan Gönül's centre from the right. Fenerbahçe had an escape just past the hour, however, when Bryan Ruiz shot wide when unmarked, a miss which the visitors were initially punished for when substitute Mehmet scored his first goal for the club with a wonderfully-taken free-kick.
Late winner
The hosts' joy soon turned to despair as another replacement, Dario Vujičević, teed up Nkufo to equalise with a quarter of an hour left. The Eredivisie outfit were not finished, though, and Nkufo grabbed his and Twente's second with a left-footed strike.