World news – African Union – « Our dream comes true » says North Macedonia after winning the Euro 2020 championship

The tiny Balkan nation of Macedonia overtook the moon on Friday after qualifying for next year’s European Football Championship, a historic victory beyond a sport for a country that has struggled for decades to recognize even its name.

Thousands of cheering fans waving the country’s red and yellow flags swarmed through the streets of the capital, Skopje, on Thursday, singing the national anthem and setting off fireworks, after Red Links beat Georgia 1-0 in a tense play-off final in Tbilisi.

Since gaining independence three decades ago, the country of nearly two million people has not come close to reaching a major tournament, but has been given a chance after the European Union’s European Football Association Championship offered European teams a path to the 2020 European Championship. The tournament was postponed due to its date. Covid-19 has yet to be recalled.

On Friday morning, the returning heroes were welcomed by fans and members of the government as newspapers ran headlines like « Football Euphoria » and « Scooby Burns ».

« Our dream has come true, » said team captain Goran Pandev, the veteran striker who scored the winning goal in the 56th minute.. .

“The boys deserved this and we are still completely unaware of what we did. Pandev, a former player for the Italian giants Inter Milan who now plays for Genoa and is his country’s best scorer ever, added, “I simply didn’t think that at the age of 38 I would qualify for a Euro.. .

Prime Minister Zoran Zeev, who led the welcome party, praised the « joy » created by the team.

North Macedonia, which ranked 65 in the FIFA World Ranking before the match, is now moving into Group C alongside the Netherlands, Austria and Ukraine..

Until last year, the country competed under the name The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) – an alternative solution to avoid the wrath of Greece, which has never accepted the name « Macedonia » because it has a province of the same name.

A historic deal between neighbors saw the addition of Skopje « North » to its official name last year, ending a decades-long dispute and opening the way toward joining the European Union.

Veteran sports commentator Alexander Stickov told AFP: « This is a result that will be written in the history of sports. ». .

« It represents the fulfillment of the dreams of all generations who dreamed of playing in a European championship but did not succeed ». .

Stickov was the official commentator during the first game Lynxes played under their flag against Slovenia in 1993, after the country declared independence from war-torn Yugoslavia. .

Thirty years later, victory was especially sweet for a nation used to be outpaced by other neighboring countries that emerged from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

But at the age of 38, the team’s future will ultimately rest on the shoulders of rising stars such as Leeds United winger Izgan Alyoski and attacking midfielder Elif Elmas of Napoli.. .

Darko Bancheff, the striker who was a hero when the team first appeared on the international stage in the early 1990s, urged players to seize this golden opportunity.

Banchev, a bar owner in Skopje, told AFP: « My generation has gone through the most difficult period, because when we came to Macedonia we were at the bottom of the table. ». .

He also urged the authorities to use the qualification to improve football facilities in North Macedonia.

One of the poorest countries in Europe, it has only one UEFA certified stadium and the budgets of the top clubs rarely reach a million euros.

“This generation has a once in a lifetime opportunity to succeed and play against the best in Europe,” said Bancheff..

North Macedonia national football team, Euro 2020, Goran Pandev, North Macedonia, European Nations League, Georgia national football team