Macedonian national team coach Blagoja Milevski at today’s press-conference released the list of summoned players for the upcoming two 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

photo by FFM: the Macedonians in September

Milevski decided to summon a total 26 players with 3 of them keepers, unlike the previous list where they were 4. Jankov is the one that got dropped. New name on the list is midfielder Erdal Rakip, both and raised in Sweden and former youth Swedish national team player who previously was declining the offers to represent Macedonia hopping that would earn a place in the stronger Swedish team. His parents are from the Prespa region and he is Turkish by ethnicity.

Another midfielder in Jani Atanasov has been added (in September originally wasn’t called up, but added additionally), while Daniel Avramovski got dropped because he left his Turkish side earlier this month and is currently without a club. Everything else is the same from the previous squad list. Back in the team is Ademi, who was summoned previously, but could not play in September because of injury.

It has to be noted that Bardhi is still injured and hasn’t played for his Levante at all after the September qualifiers. His situation will be monitored and the hopes are that he will recover in time.

Of all the 26 players, not one is coming from the domestic league – a very a devastating fact that gives a picture about the quality of the domestic league.

Stole Dimitrievski – Rayo Vallecano
Damjan Shishkovski – Doxa
Dejan Iliev – Sereď

Stefan Ristovski – Dinamo
Darko Velkovski – Rijeka
Visar Musliu – Fehérvár
Kire Ristevski – AEL
Ezgjan Alioski – Al-Ahli
Todor Todoroski – Radnički (N)
Stefan Ashkovski – Sepsi
Gjoko Zajkov – Levski
Nikola Serafimov – Zalaegerszeg

Elif Elmas – Napoli
Enis Bardhi – Levante
Stefan Spirovski – Mariupol
Tihomir Kostadinov – Ružomberok
Boban Nikolov – Sheriff
Arian Ademi – Dinamo
Erdal Rakip – Malmö
Jani Atanasov – Hajduk

Adis Jahovikj – Göztepe
Milan Ristovski – Spartak
Bojan Miovski – MTK
Darko Churlinov – Schalke 04
Aleksandar Trajkovski – Aalborg
Nikola Gjorgjev – Grasshoppers

Macedonia first travels to Vaduz where on 8 October will face Liechtenstein and three days later, on the Day of Macedonian Uprising against the allied forces of Nazi Germany and fascist Bulgaria & Italy that occupied Macedonia in WW2, will face group leaders Germany.