North Macedonia celebrate their leveller
North Macedonia’s Ezgjan Alioski netted a dramatic late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw in their home clash with Belgium in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying (WCQ), extending their impressive unbeaten run to nine internationals (W6, D3).
While Belgium were just starting their qualification bid, North Macedonia came into the contest in a confident mood after taking four points from their opening two qualifiers.
Encouraged by those results, the hosts went agonisingly close to taking a surprise lead when they hit the woodwork twice in quick succession.0
Eljif Elmas drove a fierce strike against the upright, before Alioski somehow conspired to fire the rebound against the opposite post.
They were quickly made to rue those missed opportunities, as Belgium soon put their noses in front courtesy of Maxim De Cuyper’s third international goal. The Club Brugge full-back had the simple task of tapping home after Romelu Lukaku’s initial effort was blocked, ensuring the visitors took a precious lead into the break in Skopje.
After receiving Blagoja Milevski’s wise words at the break, North Macedonia thought they had made the perfect start to the second period when Elmas saw his shot deflect in off his own teammate, Bojan Ilievski.
However, the home crowd’s cheers of celebration turned to jeers of frustration when referee Chris Kavanagh ruled the goal out for offside following a VAR review.
After being reminded of the precarious nature of their lead, Belgium threatened to add the insurance of a second when Nicolas Raskin steered the ball against the post from Jeremy Doku’s neat cut-back.
North Macedonia - Belgium match stats
The Lynxes ultimately made full use of that reprieve, as Alioski produced a moment of magic to level the scoreline in the 87th minute. The former Leeds United man stretched out his left leg to volley home a dropping ball to spark scenes of jubilation at the National Arena Tose Proeski. Alioski’s scorcher maintains his country’s unbeaten start to WCQ and denied Rudi Garcia a win in his first qualifying game as Belgium boss.0
[(Vissel Kobe) Strength]: 1. Taisei Miyashiro has scored 7 goals for Vissel Kobe in the J1 League this season, making him the team's top scorer.2. Daiju Sasaki has contributed 6 assists for Vissel Kobe this season and is the team's assist leader.3. Vissel Kobe have achieved a record of 7 wins and 2 draws in their last 9 official matches, demonstrating an outstanding form.4. Vissel Kobe have achiev...
[(Deportivo Toluca) Strength]: 1. Deportivo Toluca currently ranked third in Group A of the Leagues Cup. Facing New York City FC who are 13th-place in Group B, Deportivo Toluca, who performed better, are aiming for the three points, so they are motivated.2. Deportivo Toluca have many strong players, with Helinho and Alexis Vega leading the forward line, Marcel Ruiz and Ricardo Angulo anchoring the...
[(FC Tokyo) Strength]: 1. FC Tokyo forward Motoki Nagakura scored a goal in the last Emperor's Cup game, helping the team take the lead. So far, he scored in both the Emperor's Cup matches, showing stable performances in this tournament.2. FC Tokyo won 3-2 over Urawa Red Diamonds in the last league game, securing a winning streak of two competitive games, which revealed fit form.3. FC Tokyo scored...
[(Columbus Crew) Strength]: 1. Columbus Crew currently ranked fifth in Group B of the Leagues Cup. Facing Club Leon who are in 13th place in Group A, Columbus Crew are aiming for the three points and are full of fighting spirit.2. Columbus Crew striker Diego Rossi has scored two goals in the last two Leagues Cup matches, with high goal-scoring efficiency.3. Columbus Crew have remained unbeaten in ...
[(Tigres UANL) Strength]: 1. Tigres UANL have won both of their 2 group matches and are at the top of the group. However, they are only one point behind the teams behind them. The team still need points to consolidate their current position and have a strong motivation to grab points.2. Tigres UANL striker Angel Correa scored a brace in the last game, helping his team secure all three points. So f...
[(Mazatlan F.C.) Strength]: 1. Mazatlan F.C. are 2nd with 5 points in the table and still need points to secure a qualification spot, indicating strong motivation in this game.2. Nicolas Benedetti made 2 assists in a row in the last game, helping his teammates score.3. Mazatlan F.C. won 2-0 over Houston Dynamo in the last game. They received 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in the last 5 games, showing...
[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Strength]: 1. Hamrun Spartans F.C. were eliminated by FC Dynamo Kyiv in the previous stage of the Champions League qualifiers and can only compete for a Europa League spot at present. Facing Israeli giants Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., Hamrun Spartans F.C. hope to strive for a win to lay a solid foundation for the second leg and are highly motivated.[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Weaknes...
[(Houston Dynamo) Strength]: 1. Starting forward Ezequiel Ponce scored 9 goals across all competitions this season, the top scorer of the team.[(Houston Dynamo) Neutral]: 1. The two teams met only once in the last 10 years, where Houston Dynamo drew 0-0 with Pachuca in the 2023 Leagues Cup.[(Houston Dynamo) Weakness]: 1. Houston Dynamo lost two games in the Leagues Cup, ranking at the bottom of th...
[(Malmo FF) Strength]: 1. As the traditional giants in the Allsvenskan, Malmo FF are now 4th in the league with stable performances this season. In this Champions League qualifier against F.C. Copenhagen, they will take home advantage to go all out.2. Malmo FF performed well in the league and the Champions League qualification lately. They have remained unbeaten since July, receiving 7 wins and 2 ...
[(PFC Ludogorets Razgrad) Strength]: 1. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad striker Ivaylo Chochev has scored in the last two matches. The player is in good form and is expected to start in this game.2. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad defeated FC Dobrudzha 2-1 in the last First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) match and have remained unbeaten in regular time in the last five games, with a commendable performance...
- 1 Bayern Munich confirm Palhinha "transfer negotiations" as Spurs move closer
- 2 TIPS - Real Salt Lake VS Atletico San Luis
- 3 Arsenal legend backs Premier League rivals to become next invincibles and take prestigious title from Gunners
- 4 Daily Laugh - Raya nair
- 5 Man Utd, Newcastle turn to Stuttgart striker Woltemade
- 6 Transfer rumors, news: Chelsea face dilemma over Simons
- 7 Real Madrid Willing to Sell Rodrygo — But Only If Two Key Conditions Are Met
- 8 Man United Go All In for Benjamin Sesko! Premier League Giants Notify RB Leipzig of Imminent Bid
- 9 TIPS - KFUM-Kameratene Oslo VS Rosenborg
- 10 TIPS - Karlsruher SC VS SC Preussen Munster