Strumica is hosting a UEFA-sponsored development tournament featuring, alongside Macedonia's under-16 national team, the selections of Northern Ireland, Uzbekistan and Türkiye,
In the opening match, Macedonia and Northern Ireland played out a goalless draw, and according to the tournament rules, a penalty shootout was held, which our national team won.
“Northern Ireland, like all selections that embrace the island style of play, are an awkward opponent. They are a team that dictates a high tempo throughout the entire match, with a strong intensity of play, and it is truly difficult to match them. Nevertheless, we somehow managed to find a solution to their style of play, with a high block and counter-attacks. In any case, this was a difficult match, but I can say that I am satisfied with what was shown, although there were also many mistakes during the 90 minutes,” said head coach Iljami Isejni.
Our next opponent is Uzbekistan, who were defeated 4-0 by Türkiye in their opening match.
“It is a national team that is making constant progress. I had the opportunity to watch their performance in the match against Türkiye, who recorded a convincing victory, but our next opponent put up strong resistance at times. We expect another difficult match, which will also be useful for the players in gaining the necessary experience for future challenges,” Isejni continued.
Over the past ten months, this national team has played a series of friendly matches through which the footballers who will be part of the national team in the next European Championship qualifying cycles are being selected.
“The fact that I cannot count on six footballers who were part of all the previous camps and showed that they must be seriously considered is a major handicap; these are players who have a place in the starting lineup. Due to their absence, I decided to call up several new names who should make their mark at this tournament and compete for a place in the national team,” Isejni emphasized.
As early as June, this national team will become part of the UEFA competition system for under-17 players, and they will soon take part in the first qualifying round.
“This development tournament is also an excellent opportunity to assess the abilities of several more footballers. For me, it is a great chance to follow the progress of the players with whom we have been working together at these camps for a longer period. This generation will enter the UEFA competition system this summer, and every friendly match is welcome for us. Tactical variations that we will apply in the future are constantly being practiced,” Isejni concluded.
