The winners of the third divisional groups West and Southwest, Arsimi and Karaorman, are the last participants for next season in the Macedonian second league after winning the play-offs today.

photo: the Arsimi players celebrate with their fans

Thanks to Shtip based TV channel M»Net the football fans were able to watch live the battle between West winners Arsimi from the village of Chegrane and East winners Ovche Pole from the town of Sveti Nikole.

Arsimi had more of the possession, but it was Ovche Pole who broke the dead lock. The minute was underway when Arsimi keeper Kabir Iseini made a disastrous mistake after trying to make a back heel pass to one of his defender, which resulted in Darko Nacev easily putting the ball in the net. Several minutes later Mahir Ajruli somehow managed to missed the entire goal from just 5 meters. The same player near the break hit the cross bar, while minutes later on the other side Darko Nacev fired a great shot from 20 meters, but Iseini denied doubling the lead.

After the break, in the 53rd minute Arsimi once again hit the crossbar when Bledar Selimi fired from distance. The very next minute Vulnet Elmazi beautifully lobbed Atanasov to equalize the score with another shot from outside the box. The West champion turned the result around in the 60th minute when their best goalscorer Huzri Djemaili found the back of the net on a header. Four minutes later it was 3:1 as Mahir Ajruli scored. Nine minutes from time Enis Abduraimi beautifully served Djemaili from the left and Arsimi scored their 4th goal.

Arsimi was the better team and deserved the win. The Chegrane based team will now make a debut appearance in the second league as they never before were playing at that level. Ovche Pole missed an opportunity to make a second league co0me back after 21 years as they were last there in the season 2000/01. Maybe next season.

Gjorche Petrov stadium in Skopje
Arsimi – Ovche Pole 4:1 (0:1)
Goals: 53′ Vulnet Elmazi, 60′, 82′ Huzri Djemaili, 64′ Mahir Ajruli – 12′ Darko Nacev
Arsimi: Kabir Iseini (C); Blerton Halimi, Enis Abduraimi, Armend Dauti, Bledar Selimi, Berat Hismani, Aid Beadini (78′ Kushtrim Iseini), Vulnet Elmazi (77′ Shkumbin Aliu), Huzri Djemaili (83′ Faris Shabani), Ibraim Jusufi (68′ Ersel Diko), Mahir Ajruli.
Ovche Pole: Kristijan Atanasov; Nikola Lazev, Aleksandar Kostov, Mario Panev (62′ Boce Efremov), Zlate Todorov (78′ Filip Mitkov), Andrej Panev (46′ Sinisha Petrov), Viktor Donevski, Nikolche Simonov (44′ Trajche Iliev), Darko Nacev (78′ Viktor Trendafilov), Jordancho Trendafilov (C), Sashe Sokolov.
Yellow cards: Beadini, Ajruli (A), Donevski (OP)
Referee: Jovan Kachevski (Struga)
Assistants: Razme Bakracheski & Kliment Ristoski (Struga)
Fourth official: Fatmir Bafto (Ohrid)

What was happening in the other match between South champions Vardar from the town of Negotino and Southwest winners Karaorman from the town of Struga remains a mystery as there was no live coverage. Vardar on their Facebook profile was posting live videos from a mobile phone, but that simply isn’t enough to see the the match in good manner.

What we know is the 90 minutes ended goalless, so the winner was decided on penalties. Karaorman keeper Valdrin Rochi managed to save 3 penalties, while his teammates twice fired wide. Eventually Karaorman won on penalties and won second league promotion.

The Struga based team will make a come back after 14 years as they were last there in the season 2007/08. Vardar from Negotino was a second divisional side three seasons ago.

Boris Trajkovski stadium in Skopje
Vardar (N) – Karaorman 0:0; 4:5 p.s.o.
Vardar (N): Spase Stopjanov; Antonio Janev (87′ Petar Najdov II), Petar Najdov I (30′ Petar Ristovski, 87′ Branko Andonov), Aleksandar Trajkov (C), Zharko Donev, Dane Mitrev (46′ Goran Sokolov), Kiril Nedelkov, Darko Mojsovski, Gjorgji Shishkov, Marjancho Ilov, Nikola Varelovski (87′ Daniel Burovski).
Karaorman: Valdrin Rochi; Darko Simjanoski, Valentin Gjorgjieski, Nikola Grdanoski, Ilija Dalcheski, Cvetan Gligoroski, Dimitar Dalcheski (46′ Stefan Petrushevski), Kristijan Cacanoski (74′ Nenad Poposki), Ivica Kjeleshoski (C), Klime Dalcheski (81′ Belkjija Gjetali), Nikola Dimov.
Yellow cards: Najdov, Janev, Ristovski, Sokolov, Nedelkov, Trajkov, Andonov (V), Grdanoski, I. Dalcheski, Gligoroski, Poposki (K)
Referee: Dimitar Pileshkov (Shtip)
Assistants: Daniel Vasilevski & Branko Putilin (Skopje)
Fourth official: Krumislav Gjorgiev (Shtip)

This is how the 2.MFL will look next season (alphabetically):

2.MFL 2022/23

Pos	Club	Pts	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD
1	Voska Sport	75	30	23	6	1	84	25	59
2	Gostivar	73	30	23	7	0	71	11	60
3	Vardar	63	30	19	6	5	55	20	35
4	Pelister	58	30	17	7	6	64	26	38
5	Detonit Plachkovica	50	30	14	8	8	43	35	8
6	Besa 1976	48	30	15	3	12	43	29	14
7	Ohrid Lychnidos	41	30	12	5	13	31	35	-4
8	Arsimi	40	30	12	4	14	41	35	6
9	Kozhuf	36	30	10	6	14	40	54	-14
10	Belasica	35	30	10	5	15	36	47	-11
11	Karaorman	34	30	9	7	14	30	40	-10
12	Sasa	31	30	8	7	15	31	49	-18
13	Teteks	31	30	9	4	17	31	78	-47
14	Pehchevo Skopje	30	30	8	6	16	35	41	-6
15	Sloga 1934	25	30	6	7	17	26	47	-21
16	Borec 1919	2	30	0	2	28	13	102	-89