The stray was commended for his ball handling skills by commentators. Screengrab
The stray was commended for his ball handling skills by commentators. Screengrab
The stray was commended for his ball handling skills by commentators. Screengrab
The stray was commended for his ball handling skills by commentators. Screengrab

Oh my dog: pup steals the ball at Turkish football match


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A stray dog earned praise for its ball handling from a live TV commentator on Sunday after it ran on the pitch and disrupted a professional Turkish soccer match.

With fans and security personnel looking on from the sidelines at an Istanbul stadium, the players and a referee in the First Division struggled to win back the ball from the dog.

They finally sent off the uninvited guest by throwing the ball off the field – but the dog fetched it and returned for a second appearance just as play resumed.

Zeki Yildirim, a midfielder for home side Fatih Karagumruk Spor, then carried the pup off the field.

Fatih Karagumruk Spor won the game 2-1 over visiting Giresunspor, from north-east Turkey, in the league below Turkey's Premier League.

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