Turkish Commentator Removed from World Cup Coverage After Iran-New Zealand Mix-Up

A Turkish state broadcaster, TRT, has removed a commentator from its World Cup coverage after he mistakenly identified the Iran and New Zealand teams during a live broadcast.

TRT confirmed late on Tuesday that the commentator, identified by Turkish media as Murat Ekrem Çimen, had been withdrawn from the US World Cup broadcast team. He will not continue to comment on matches throughout the tournament, pending an investigation.

Reports indicate that Mr. Çimen referred to Iran’s attacks as New Zealand’s and vice-versa during the opening minutes of the broadcast. TRT described the error as "unacceptable" under its broadcasting standards and apologized to its viewers and the public. The broadcaster stated that such a mistake was unacceptable from someone with over 30 years of experience in sports broadcasting.

The incident occurred during the Group G match on Monday night, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Iran twice came from behind to secure a point, with goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi canceling out Elijah Just's two scores for New Zealand.

Iran's team faced a disrupted build-up to the tournament amidst the nation’s ongoing conflict with the US, which is co-hosting the World Cup. The squad moved its training base to Mexico, flying into the US for each of their three group matches.

Following Monday’s match, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his team as the “most oppressed” at the World Cup. He cited extensive commuting, a lack of recovery time, and being forced to leave immediately after the game to return to Tijuana as significant issues. Ghalenoei also mentioned not being permitted to arrive two nights before the game or to stay overnight, expressing confusion over decisions made by others without explanation.

(Source: Yahoo Sports Soccer)