Macedonia's Under-21 national team face their final two matches against Montenegro and Sweden in the European Championship qualifiers, with the clash against Montenegro also marking the official debut of new head coach Aleksandar Tanevski.
Tanevski expects the team to show character and discipline, as well as a clear idea of how they want to play.
„First and foremost, against Montenegro, especially as it will be my first official match as the national team head coach, we want a positive result and a victory. I want to see character and discipline, but also the way we want to play in the future,“ Tanevski says.
In addition to the current qualifying cycle, the two matches are also important as part of preparations for the next one. The new head coach is announcing opportunities for young footballers who must show that they can meet the demands of the national team.
„These matches are an important part of our preparations for the next qualifying cycle. We want to give opportunities to players who have potential and see which of them can meet the demands at this level,“ Tanevski emphasizes.
The friendly match against Russia Under-21 was also a good test for the new coaching staff, with Macedonia putting in an excellent performance. Most of the squad consisted of footballers from the 2006 and 2007 generations, but six younger players were also given a chance: one born in 2008, four in 2009 and one in 2010.
„The match against Russia was a good test for us. In the first half, we had three excellent chances, played compactly and with good energy. Although we lost the match 3-2, we received important answers and saw that we have footballers we can count on in the future,“ Tanevski says.
The focus is now fully directed towards Montenegro. Macedonia want to open the new period under Tanevski with a good performance and a positive result, while at the same time continuing to build a team that will be ready for the next qualifying cycle.
„The focus is now fully on Montenegro. We want to open this new period with a good performance, character and a positive result, while at the same time continuing to build a team that will be ready for the next qualifying cycle.“
Macedonia Under-21 face Montenegro tomorrow at 18:00 at the “Petar Miloshevski” Stadium in Bitola, while the away match against Sweden is scheduled for 6 October.
