Macedonia secured a vital 0:1 victory over Kazakhstan in Astana, climbing to the top of Group J in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after a tense and hard-fought contest.
Trajkovski celebrating his goal, photo: FFM.mk
First Half: Trajkovski’s Moment of Brilliance
The Lynxes started brightly, testing Kazakhstan’s goalkeeper Mukhammedzhan Seysen early through Ezgjan Alioski and Eljif Elmas. Despite dominating the opening exchanges, Macedonia nearly fell behind when Galymzhan Kenzhebek struck the post for the hosts. Moments later, Stole Dimitrievski was called into action, producing a superb save to deny Askhat Tagybergen.
The breakthrough arrived in the 33rd minute. Trajkovski capitalized on a defensive lapse, rifling a powerful shot past Seysen to give Macedonia a deserved lead. The goal marked his return to the scoresheet and underlined his importance as Macedonia’s second all-time top scorer.
The goal:
Second Half: Defensive Resilience and Narrow Escapes
Kazakhstan increased the pressure after the break, with Maksim Samorodov rattling the crossbar in the 58th minute, and Nuraly Alip forcing another smart save from Dimitrievski. Macedonia’s defense held firm despite the hosts’ late surge.
Enis Bardhi nearly doubled the lead with a fierce drive, but Seysen was equal to the task. In the closing stages, the Lynxes withstood a barrage of Kazakh attacks, including a last-gasp free kick, to preserve their slender advantage.
Group Standings and What’s Next
With this result, Macedonia now sits atop Group J with eight points from four matches, maintaining their unbeaten start to the campaign (2 wins and 2 draws).