AKIPRESS.COM - 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.

Fans and security personnel look on in amusement as players and the referee struggle to win back possession of the ball from this talented pooch during a soccer match in Istanbul https://t.co/V2KJ8Jwfor pic.twitter.com/HeBOvmFLSk

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2020

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, midfielder for home side Fatih Karagumruk Spor, then carried the pup off the field, Reuters reported.