The Macedonian women's national team A suffered two defeats against the Russian national team in friendly matches played at the "Mladost" stadium in Strumica. Our national team lost 0:2 in the first match, and the Russians won the second control match with a convincing 5:0.
Coach Aleksandar Andov's team played very solidly in the first match. Polina Yuklyaeva scored the opening goal for Russia in the 11th minute, and it was not until injury time that the visitors confirmed the victory through Zalmieva.
Macedonia: Viktorija Panchurova, Anne Boshevska, Katerina Petkova, Pavlikna Nikolovska, Elena Paneska (Biljana Paneska), Bojana Petkova, Aleksandra Markovska, Eva Velichkovska (Rabie Dervishi), Melanija Grozdanovska (Jovana Pavlovska), Rebecca Simona Mayer, Ilza Maksuti (Hava Mustafi);
Russia: Dudorova, Semjonova, Oleksiuk, Smirnova, Pleshkova, Ishmukhametova, Shkalova, Zalmieva, Zharkova, Yukljaeva, Petuhova.
In the return match, Russia won convincingly 5:0.
The score was opened in the 15th minute. After a cross from a corner, Maria Durnova headed the ball into the near corner of Panchurova's goal from close range. That goal was the only one of the first half.
In the second half, the Russians scored four more goals. In the 53rd minute, Polina Yuklyaeva received a ball in the center of the penalty area, turned and accurately hit the net. Twelve minutes later, Butkevich penetrated the right side, passed to Darina Ishmukhametova, who placed the ball in the goal. In the 72nd minute, a similar action was completed with a precise shot by Glafira Zhukova, and the point of the match was again put by Ishmukhametova, who in the referee's stoppage time was a sure scorer from the penalty spot and scored her second goal.
Macedonia: Viktorija Panchurova, Anne Boshevska, Katerina Petkova, Pavlikna Nikolovska (Slagjana Gjorgieva), Elena Paneska (Mia Golovska), Bojana Petkova, Aleksandra Markovska, Eva Velichkovska (Dance Karpuzovska), Hava Mustafa, Rebecca Simona Mayer (Melanija Grozdanovska), Ilza Maksuti (Biljana Paneska);
Russia: Taranchenko, Butkevich, Oleksiuk, Durnova, Sharifova, Zalmieva, Shkalova, Ishmukhametova, Yuklyaeva, Dolgova, Zhukova.
