Armenian national team coach Vardan Minasyan announced the squad list for the upcoming Nations League visit to Skopje where Armenia will match Macedonia in what is supposed to be a clash for the table top.
photo by FFA: a recent photo of the Armenian national team
Unlike the Macedonian coach who called up only 18 players Minasyan summoned 23 of which three goalkeepers. On the list is Tigran Barseghyan, the attacker of Vardar who should be Armenia’s secret weapon. Only Alik Arakelyan is debutant, while there are few foreign players of Armenian origin like Jordy Joao, André Calisir and Ivan Yagan who debuted earlier this year.
Armenia this year played four friendlies, two of them before the World Cup unlike Macedonia who opted to be inactive that period. However, Armenia’s record in those four friendlies is disappointing as they played three draws (0:0 vs. Estonia and Moldova, 1:1 vs. Malta) and a 1:0 defeat by Lithuania with only one goal scored.
Arsen Beglaryan – Liepāja
Aram Ayrapetyan – Banants
Anatoly Aivazov – Banants
Hrayr Mkoyan – Alashkert
Varazdat Haroyan – Ural
Taron Voskanyan – Alashkert
Jordy Joao Monroy Ararat – Boyacá Chicó
André Jack Calisir – Göteborg
Armen Manucharyan – Pyunik
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Arsenal
Marcos Pinheiro Pizzelli – Aktobe
Gevorg Ghazaryan – Chaves
Karlen Mkrtchyan – Pyunik
Aras Özbiliz – Willem II
Artak Yedigaryan – Alashkert
Edgar Malakyan – Zhetysu
Rumyan Hovsepyan – Pyunik
Gor Malakyan – Ararat
Erik Vardanyan – Pyunik
Alik Arakelyan – Pyunik
Artur Sarkisov – Yenisey
Tigran Barseghyan – Vardar
Ivan Yagan – Eupen
The match between Macedonia and Armenia will be played on 9 September in Skopje with a kick-off at 18.00 CET. Previously Macedonia will visit Gibraltar while Armenia will host Liechtenstein. To view the Macedonian squad click here.