Tweet
Macedonia beats Iceland 2-0 in WCup qualifying
Posted 4h 27m ago | Comment | Recommend E-mail | Save | Print |
SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Aco Stojkov and Filip Ivanovski scored Wednesday for Macedonia to beat Iceland 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match.
Stojkov beat goalkeeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson with a header in the ninth minute from a pass by Filip Despotovski.
Ivanovski replaced Stojkov in the second half to make his national-team debut, and he made it 2-0 in the 87th after a pass from Vlatko Grozdanovski.
The result revived Macedonia's hopes of advancing. The team now has seven points to be equal second in Group 9 with Scotland, which has played a game less. Iceland is next to last with four points.
Macedonia missed a string of first-half chances. Goran Pandev shot wide in the 18th after good lead-up work from Stojkov.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Goran Pandev | Brynjar Gunnarsson | Goce Sedloski
Macedonia goalkeeper Jane Nikoloski was replaced in the 67th with a chest injury after colliding with Iceland striker Palmi Rafn Palmason.
Group leader Netherlands has already qualified for the World Cup after having beaten Iceland 2-1 last week.
___
Lineups:
Macedonia: Jane Nikoloski (Tome Pachovski, 73), Goran Popov, Goce Sedloski, Igor Mitrevski, Slavko Georgievski, Velice Shumulikoski (Vlatko Grozdanovski, 77), Goran Pandev, Ilcho Naumoski, Filip Despotovski, Vlade Lazarevski, Aco Stojkov (Filip Ivanovski, 64).
Iceland: Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson, Solvi Ottesen, Bjarni Eiriksson, Kristjan Orn Sigurdsson, Eggert Jonsson (Birkir Saevarsson, 59), Gretar Rafn Steinsson, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Stefan Gislason, Emil Hallfredsson, Palmi Rafn Palmason (Johan Gudmunsson, 75), Arnor Smarason.
:rmacedonia
Comment