It is time for our traditional team of the first half-season in the best Macedonian football league.

For this team we opted for a 4-4-2 formation, unlike the previous years. Considering the players that were the best the past several months, we believe that this formation suits them the best.

We have selected players from 7 different teams, mostly, and expectedly, from, the table leaders Shkupi who were by far the best team this half-season. Interesting, none of second-placed Shkendija made the top 11. The current holders despite being second showed disappointing matches, but still few players did well, not enough to be among the first 11, only at the bench.

No players at well were selected from dead last Pelister, who even failed to win a single match, and Borec and Rabotnichki whose game flow was pitiful.

GK Kristijan Naumovski (Shkupi) M18 GC11 CS11 Y4 R0 1.620′
It is true that to concede only 11 goals you must have a great defense before you, which is a fact here, but 33-year-old Naumovski also had great saves many times denying the opponent attackers.

RB Aleksandar Varelovski (Tikvesh) M14 G1 A1 Y7 R1 1.257′
The oldest player in our best 11 (several months older than the keeper) is Tikvesh’s captain who is back in the top flight after spending 3 seasons in the second division. Despite his team is at the 10th place, he showed great experience and played good football at right back, outplaying the others at this position.

CB Klisman Cake (Struga) M15 G2 A1 Y4 R0 1.339′
Third season at Struga and still the bigger teams haven’t taking him. This guy is better than this league and will soon move abroad, unless Shkendija or Shkupi decide to approach him.

CB Abdul Rwatubyaye (Shkupi) M16 G2 A2 Y3 R0 1.367′
The Rwanda national team played stabilized himself as a wall in Shkupi’s defense. No wonder the other teams scored only 11 goals against them as they had to go past this fellow.

LB Mihail Manevski (Bregalnica) M18 G0 A5 Y4 R0 1.575′
This guy stated all 18 matches for his team only 3 times got substituted. He was the best in the whole league at left back showing defensive skills and also attacking although he never scored, but did his job assisting 5 times.

DM Sefer Emini (Makedonija GjP) M13 G3 A3 Y4 R0 1.031′
The 21-year-old is back at the Lions as a loanee from Russian side Akron, but his form may change the mind of the Russians. A tireless warrior who makes his team twice more stable. We can’t really understand how this lad is constantly being ignored by U21 national team coach as he clearly should be a first team choice at our young Lynx.

CM Freddy Álvarez (Shkupi) M16 G8 A11 Y3 R0 1.432′
The Costarican attacking AM this season mostly played as CM and still managed to lead his team. He assisted so many times for his teammates that a quarter of Shkupi’s goals are thanks to him.

RW Matej Cvetanoski (Shkupi) M14 G5 A6 Y1 R0 879′
Looking at the stats he doesn’t stand that well, but best 11 is not only a statistical team. Matej was a machine on the field, constantly changing positions left and right and shaking up its opponents. Those who watched him play know why he is in this team.

LW Martin Mirchevski (Akademija Pandev) M18 G16 A4 Y5 R0 1.547′
Probably the best player in this half-season. Mirchevski in the summer came as free agent from relegated Vardar and demonstrated his outstanding attacking qualities at the Strumica based team. He ended up being the top goalscorer scoring 5 braces.

CF Sunday Adetunji (Shkupi) M14 G11 A5 Y3 R0 1.033′
The player who came directly from the Nigerian league left an impression of an unstoppable forward who caused many headaches to the opponent defenders. Although not yet up to the level of Dembo Darboe, he did his job well.

CF Remzifaik Selmani (Renova) M18 G11 A4 Y2 R0 1.513′
After being relatively quit the past two seasons, Selmani woke up and was Renova’s best players so far. How effective he was says the fact the his goals came in 10 different matches and against 9 different team. He only failed to score against Makedonija GjP and Shkupi.

Legend: M – matches; GC – goals conceded; CS – clean sheets; G – goals; A – assists; Y – yellow cards; R – red cards.

As always, we also included 12 reserve players:

GK David Denkovski (Bregalnica)
GK Davor Taleski (Struga)
RB Stefan Kocev (Bregalnica)
CB Ján Krivák (Shkendija)
CB Kosta Manev (Akademija Pandev)
LB Fernandinho (Makedonija GjP)
DM Jessie Guera (Shkendija)
DM Faustin Senghor (Shkupi)
W Ivan Ivanovski (Tikvesh)
W Martin Stojanov (Bregalnica)
CF Sidrit Guri (Shkendija)
CF Marjan Altiparmakovski (Bregalnica)