Ibrahim Said and Beshir El Tabei both put in strong performances and should have earned a victory, were it not for a nightmare goalkeeping mistake from Caykur Rizespor keeper Zdravkov, which ended the game in a 1-1 draw.

Opponents Ankaraspor couldn't, for large parts of the game, cope with Heema's superb pace which led to Rize's only goal of the game. The Egyptian did a wonderful sprint into the right side of the area, hitting the ball a distance and reaching it with brilliant speed. He then went for goal and thumped a shot on target which forced a great save by the keeper, and landed for Seydihan to rebound home.

In the half hour before the goal, Said had done well on other occasions. The most notable was when he surged forward into the area, before being met by defenders. He scrambled the ball back for a team-mate, who shot just wide of the target.

In the second half, Said could have scored had it not been for a poor decision from a Rize attacker. Finding space on the right, his team-mate should have passed to him; Heema completely free just inside the area, but instead, the pass went for the far post, and the eventual shot went wide. The former Everton player showed his frustration with visible hand complaints and explanations to his Turkish team-mate.

Ankaraspor were being kept at bay, but Beshir himself almost gave them an equaliser. He jumped in the way of a shot to block it in the air, and it looped onto the target. Zdravkov could have caught it but punched strangely for a corner.

And it was Zdravkov who cost Rizespor at by the end. A shot which should have been easily saved went right through his fingers, to squander two points which Rize need in their attempts to stay in the Super Lig.