Macedonian U19 national team coach Toni Jakimoski hopes that this generation will seize the occasion and qualify for the 2024 EURO in Northern Ireland.
photo by FFM: coach Toni Jakimoski
After completing the draw earlier today, Macedonia U19 learnt the opponents in the Elite round of qualifiers, the last stage before the EURO. Switzerland, Ukraine and Latvia will be the obstacles on the road to the gathering in Northern Ireland in June and July next years.
“I am satisfied with the draw, we are in a good group. Realistically, we could have get even more difficult opponents. In today’s modern football there are no weak and strong national teams, all have certain qualities and can play football at the highest level.” – commented Jakimoski, shares FFM.
“I hope that in the upcoming Elite round of qualifiers, above all, we will manage to maintain the continuity of good play and positive results. It will not be easy at all, but we are ready for this challenge.”
“The motivation of my players and the entire stuff is at a high level. We will do our best to succeed in going one step further and secure a place at the European Championship.”
“My players have a great desire to prove themselves. I hope that there will be no absent players and that we will be able to present ourselves in a good light in March. Let’s complete this three-year cycle with success.”
Jakimoski himself being a former defender knows what kind of pressure these young players will have in March. Now the 57-year-old back in the days played for his hometown clubs Teteks and Ljuboten, also for Vardar, Cementarnica 55 and Serbian side Radnički from Kragujevac. His biggest success as coach is winning the Macedonian Cup in 2010 with Teteks.
“I hope that in the next period of preparations, all football players will be healthy and I will have them available. We will have two friendly matches in Skopje against Bosnia-Herzegovina on February 27 and 29. It will also be our last check before the start of the European qualifiers.”
“I have the utmost faith in this generation of players. We showed character, determination and a great desire to succeed. I expect that we can do and achieve something more, I hope that we will be able to secure a place at the EURO.”