Eventually the much needed changes occurred as Igor Angelovski summoned new and U21 players for the upcoming friendlies against Azerbaijan and Iran.
Macedonia with a half-new team will start a new era in the national team. Several U21 national team players were called up for the two upcoming friendly games, last before the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. These changes would have been made sooner, but the great results of the U21 national team in the EURO qualifications turned the things around as the U21 NT was given the priority over the needed players. Also summoned are new players like 22-year-old attacking midfielder Dejan Peshevski who plays in Slovakia and Swiss born 18-year-old Nikola Gjorgjev, also attacking midfielder.
Players like Adis Jahovikj, Nikola Gligorov, Ostoja Stjepanovikj, Jovan Kostovski, Mite Cikarski, Armend Alimi, Martin Bogatinov and Goran Siljanovski from the previous squad back in March did not got a call. Also Agim Ibraimi is absent because he is not even training with his team after the incident he had with the board director. First choice keeper David Mitov Nilsson is out with a broken leg, while UEFA confirmed the 4-years suspension for Arijan Ademi.
“I am sorry for Agim Ibraimi and the situation that he is in. For over a month now he is not training with the team. We spoke during my visit of Slovenia and I can confirm that he is still in my plans, but I hope that he will find a new team and will start playing again. The same stands for Nilsson and Ademi, we need them, but we can not go against certain things. I wish them all the best in the future.” – said Angelovski.
Probably the fans will have one remark to coach Angelovski, for not calling up Ezgjan Alioski of Lugano who currently plays is great form in Switzerland.
Macedonia will start gathering on the 23rd, then will travel to Austria where in the small town of Schwadorf will face Azerbaijan on the 29th. After the game the team will head back to Skopje where will play against Iran on the 2nd of June.
Aleksovski, Velkovski, Zajkov, Bejtulai, Nikolov, Bardhi, Babunski and Radeski will all join the national team after the U21 qualifier against Ukraine on the 27th.
Here is the current squad list:
Stole Dimitrievski – Granada
Igor Aleksovski – Makedonija GjP
Leonard Zhuta – Rijeka
Kire Ristevski – Vasas
Stefan Ristovski – Rijeka
Vanche Shikov – Austria
Darko Velkovski – Vardar
Gjoko Zajkov – Charleroi
Egzon Bejtulai – Shkendija
Dejan Peshevski – Podbrezová
Enis Bardhi – Újpest
Boban Nikolov – Vardar
Bojan Najdenov – Rabotnichki
Marjan Radeski – Shkendija
David Babunski – Crvena zvezda
Nikola Gjorgjev – Grasshoppers
Ferhan Hasani – Shkendija
Goran Pandev – Genoa
Ivan Trichkovski – AEK
Aleksandar Trajkovski – Palermo
Ilija Nestorovski – Inter Zaprešić
These two friendlies will be the last test before the Russian World Cup qualifiers that start in September when Macedonia will visit Albania in the opening round on the 5th.