The father of Türkiye's goalkeeper, Mert Günok, attributed his son's miraculous stoppage-time save against Austria, which preserved their 2-1 lead and secured a spot in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, to divine intervention.
Austria's Christoph Baumgartner looked to have forced extra time with a superb late header, but Günok threw himself to his right and somehow pawed the ball away to safety as Türkiye hung on to win one of the best games of the tournament so far.
"My son's stance and performance on the field at the last second made me happy. Maybe the prayers of all football fans, along with me, prevented that goal," his father Mahir, a former goalkeeper and coach, told newspaper Hurriyet.
His son said he was also thankful for the prayers of Turkish supporters.
"It was a great victory. I would like to thank everyone who prayed for us, we still have a long way to go," Günok junior said.
Türkiye will face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in Berlin on Saturday evening, the first time since 2008 that they have made it to this stage of the tournament.
"I think that with this spirit of unity and solidarity, we will overcome the Dutch obstacle," Mahir Günok said.
