Hakkı Tolunay Kafkas (born 21 March 1968) is a Turkish professional football manager and former player. He is manager of Süper Lig club Ankaragücü.
Playing career
Kafkas was born in Ankara, he is of Circassian origin. Kafkas played as a defensive midfielder for PTT, Keçiörengücü, Diyarbakırspor, Erzurumspor, Konyaspor, Trabzonspor, Galatasaray, Bursaspor and Denizlispor in Turkey and Pasching, LASK and Admira Wacker in Austria. He retired in 2005.
He made his debut for the Turkey national team on 21 December 1994 against Italy. In total, he made 33 appearances for the Turkey national team scoring 3 goals.
Managerial career
He began his coaching journey in the 2007–08 Season as the head coach of Kayserispor, where he achieved significant success, leading the team to victory in the Turkish Cup and a remarkable 5th place finish in the league with 55 points. This accomplishment earned Kayserispor a spot in the UEFA Cup.
In the subsequent years, Kafkas ventured into coaching roles at other Turkish clubs, including Gaziantepspor, Trabzonspor, and Kardemir Karabükspor, showcasing his versatility as a coach. He also briefly served as the TFF Development Director.
Throughout his coaching career, Kafkas experienced both triumphs and challenges, leaving a lasting impact on the clubs he managed. His tenure at Kayserispor and Gaziantepspor saw notable achievements. Notably, his time at Kardemir Karabükspor was highlighted by a historic achievement, leading the team to their first-ever qualification to the European Cups. Despite being eliminated from the UEFA Europa League play-off round by Saint-Étienne after a thrilling penalty shootout Additionally, Kafkas had the opportunity to coach Turkey's under-21 national football team, contributing to the development of young talents in the country between 2020 and 2023.
On 23 March 2023, Kafkas took on a new coaching role at Ankaragücü, further solidifying his position as an accomplished and respected figure in Turkish football.
Career statistics
International
Scores and results list. Turkey's goal tally first.