Türkiye-Serbia

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Match report ✍️

Türkiye edge Serbia 23–14 in competitive Group C opener

Türkiye secured a hard-fought opening victory at the IKF European Korfball Championship 2026, defeating Serbia 23–14 in Group C in Otrokovice.

The match was closely contested for long periods, with both sides exchanging goals in a high-tempo encounter. Türkiye gradually established control through sharp movement, effective running-in options and clinical finishing, particularly from medium range. Serbia remained competitive and continued to threaten, but Türkiye managed the key moments better and pulled clear in the closing stages.

Erva Duman led the scoring with six goals, while Ali Furkan Çetin added five. Further contributions came from Gülsah Güner Dalar, Hilal Karas, Oral Arslan and Sefa Çelik (two each), with the rest of the Turkish attack and defence combining effectively under coach Yuksel Abdikoglu.

For Serbia, Nikola Perkovic scored five goals and Petar Perkovic added three. Petar Jovanovic scored twice, with further goals from Jelena Kovacevic, Milena Ignjatijevic, Nemanja Stojevic and Mina Vukic. Despite the defeat, the Serbian side showed spirit and attacking threat under coach Kees Vlietstra.

The result gives Türkiye an important first win in a competitive Group C that also features Germany and Slovakia. Serbia will look to bounce back in their remaining matches, while Türkiye turn their attention to the next challenge as they aim for a strong overall tournament showing.

Full match statistics and timeline are available at worldkorfball.sport.