The women’s national football team continued its campaign in the World Cup qualifying competition. In a third-round match, our team hosted Hungary in Bitola, with the visitors ultimately recording a convincing 5:0 victory.
“Hungary are a serious opponent, favourites to finish top of the group, and they proved that in the match in Bitola. This game was also another opportunity for this talented generation to gain the necessary experience, which will enable them to play such matches at a much higher level in the future. I would like to highlight Teona Galabovska’s performance, as she is playing better from match to match and confirming her great talent. As a reward for what she showed on the pitch, I decided that she should wear the captain’s armband towards the end. I believe Teona needs to experience the moment when she must be the team leader, because that is what we expect from her in the future,” said head coach Aleksandar Andov.
Despite the heavy defeat, the national team coach was satisfied with what his team showed, while also pointing to specific aspects of their performance that need improvement.
“In principle, I am satisfied with what we showed. In certain situations, we played as previously agreed. Unfortunately, we paid a heavy price for a lack of concentration in defence, while at times the midfielders also fell short. We conceded two goals far too early; after just ten minutes, the Hungarians already had a significant advantage,” Andov continued.
After a longer break, we have a talented generation of young footballers who, in their respective age categories, were part of the elite qualifying rounds and had the opportunity to play against the strongest national teams from the Old Continent. These are players who in the near future should be equal opponents to the national teams that take part in major competitions.
“Our objective is clear: we are building a new team in which young footballers will be given opportunities. Matches like these are an excellent chance for them to progress. I believe in these girls and hope that we will play much better in the next match in Hungary. This is supported by the fact that we were evenly matched in the second half, which means that this team has the potential to play at a higher level,” the national team coach emphasised.
With another national team taking part in an elite qualifying tournament, Andov could not count on all the players. Some of them are currently representing the under-17 team.
“It is true that we are playing these matches against Hungary without our full squad. My colleague Kiril Izov and I had to agree on which players would be part of the senior team and which would represent the under-19 national team, which is taking part in the elite qualifiers for the European Championship. The younger players travelled to Scotland, where it is currently better for them to play against opponents from their own generation. Their absence was made up for by several players from the under-17 national team, who should also strengthen the competition for places in the senior team in the future. Together with my colleagues on the coaching staff, we are working to build a good team that should be competitive in matches against Europe’s best national teams in the near future,” Andov concluded.
