Two more games. Only two more games and Macedonia has a chance to play at the European Championship. After the success of Macedonian under 21 team, that took part in the European Championship in Poland in 2017 where unfortunately the team was not able to go through to the later stages, it appears a new light at the end of the tunnel. Still it was a big story because for the first time a Macedonian team in football managed to qualify for a big competition. Now the senior Macedonian national team has the chance to do it on the big stage.

After beating Gibraltar 4-0 in the Skopje, Macedonia finished first in her group 4 of the league D in the Nations league and they managed to qualify for the finals. They managed to go through with 15 points which is the second best point count from the four groups in league D only behind Georgia. With Macedonia and Georgia in the play offs are also Belarus and Kosovo. In order to get to the European Championship Macedonia will have to win the semi-final and later the final of the play offs which will be played in March 2020 after the qualifications for the European Championship in 2020 will finish. Teams that will qualify for the EURO 2020 through the qualifications will leave space for those others to play in the play offs, or the one that is coming next in the standings. With this in mind I believe that Macedonia has a great chance of going to the EURO 2020 with feet firmly on the ground and heads focused on the task in hand.

This European Championship will be marking the 60years anniversary since its first edition in 1960. As a part of that UEFA has decided to have the matches played in 12 different stadiums all over Europe that made bids to be part of this event, as well as Macedonia with its biggest stadium in Skopje, Philip the Second of Macedon though unfortunately the bid was unsuccessful. Now since Macedonia will not host matches there is still a chance of having Macedonia present at the EURO 2020 and not just as spectators now, but out there on the field fighting and defending the colors of Macedonia.

I would not want to say that this is the only chance or last chance for Macedonia to play in a big, team competition but for sure is an excellent one. It presents an opportunity, a glimpse to awake and arouse masses to gather around the national team like few times before, to go and watch games for the Macedonian team, not for the team that is visiting and to bring a nation closer together. I sincerely hope for many chances like this one, for many matches on different competitions, for yelling our lungs out to give an extra boost to fight to the end, to play with their hearts. Come on Macedonia!!!

Andrej Naumovski