Kayhan Kaynak

Kayhan Kaynak — Biography

Kayhan Kaynak was a forward whose goals for Adanaspor took him to Fenerbahçe and who also played for the Turkish national team; he was the younger brother of Reşit Kaynak, the elder brother of Orhan Kaynak and one of the "Kaynak brothers" of Adana football. The 1-0 derby win over Galatasaray on 22 February 1987, secured by his goal for Fenerbahçe, was talked about for years. He died on 9 January 1994, aged 33, in the Karataş district of Adana; the Kayhan Kaynak Kardeşleri Stadium in Yüreğir keeps the name alive.

He began in 1976 at Ceyhanspor and joined Adanaspor in 1978, scoring 57 goals in 85 matches there; at the 1978 Balkan Youth Championship he first wore the national shirt, against Romania. After standing out in the Second League in 1985-86 with 30 goals, he agreed terms with Fenerbahçe. He struggled to settle at first, then opened his account with his first goal against Ankaragücü and kept the team in the title race, especially with long-range shots; he scored 10 of the team's 46 league goals that season.

That form brought him back into the national team after five years: he made his senior debut against Romania on 4 March 1987, scored his first international goal on 25 March in Turkey's first-ever win over East Germany, and won four senior caps in all. In 1987-88 he managed only 5 goals; after trouble with the management and a squad rebuild he left Fenerbahçe for Konyaspor, where he scored 28 goals in 68 matches in three seasons and became the club's first star. Later he played for Eskişehirspor, Adana Demirspor and, on loan, Aydınspor.