Nihat Kahveci’s Friday Prayer adventure with the U21

During an U21 national team trip in Germany, the squad went to Friday prayers wearing giant Türkiye-branded tracksuits.

They walk into the mosque and the imam takes one look at them and says:

“Arkadaşlar… Türk galiba?”
(“Lads… I’m guessing you’re Turkish?”)

The players are trying not to laugh because they’re literally wearing tracksuits with “TÜRKİYE” written across the chest in enormous letters.

But the real comedy starts when the imam begins reciting Surah Yasin before the prayer.

According to Besiktas legend Nihat Kahveci, the imam sounded less like a religious leader and more like a football coach delivering tactical instructions before kick-off. He was passionately shouting verses with such intensity that the players felt like they were in a team talk rather than a mosque.

Nihat said he spent half the prayer trying not to burst out laughing.

It’s peak Turkish football culture: religion, football camps, awkward young footballers, and unintentionally theatrical imams all colliding in one story.