Macedonia U21 head coach Aleksandar Tanevski, after the 1:1 draw against Montenegro in Bitola, said that he was not satisfied with the result, but praised the character and reaction of his players in the second half.
„I am not satisfied with the result. In the first half, we played as if frozen, we failed to find the right energy, even though the opponent did not do much to take the lead. Nevertheless, they managed to score before the end of the half.
In the second half, we were much better. We came out with a different energy, played as a team and showed character. That is something very important to me. I saw passion, fighting spirit and desire from all the players, and in the end we also had a chance to win.
Sweden are next for us, a team of a high level. There, too, I expect the players to show fighting spirit, character and a performance that will give us a good foundation for what lies ahead in the new qualifying cycle.
We have room for improvement in every position. However, that also depends to a great extent on the work the players do at their clubs, as well as on their playing time and form. The defensive line in particular is an area we need to work on and improve in the next cycle.
Hodža from Leeds is one of the assets we have for the next cycle, and I expect him to be an important part of this generation as well,“ said Tanevski.
