North Macedonia Cheer Team’s First Euro Football Championship Match

The cafes and restaurants in central Skopje were filled with cheering fans on Sunday as North Macedonia's national football team played its first-ever match at the European Championship, against Austria, fulfilling a decades-long dream.

The match ended with 3-1 Austrian victory against North Macedonia. But this did not dampen spirits in Skopje, where fans watching on large screens in establishments celebrated the mere fact that their team was competing at such a prestigious tournament.

The high point, expectedly, was the goal scored by the veteran Macedonian striker Goran Pandev in the first half, which evened the result to 1:1, and was enough to keep the suspense going until the second half, when Austria sealed the result with 3:1.

"This is history. For the first time we are at a European Championship and our team knows how to play well at big tournaments," a young man wearing Pandev's dress and chearing his heroes in Skopje, told BIRN.

Not all hope for qualifying in the second round of the tournament is lost for the home team; the country hopes for a better result in forthcoming matches against Ukraine and the Netherlands.

'This is history,' a young fan in Skopje said of the match. Photo: BIRN

Fans were initially optimistic that their team could beat the clear favorite, Austria. Photo: BIRN

Restaurant staff watch the match along with fans. Photo: BIRN

The streets in Skopje were empty but hospitality establishments were full. Photo: BIRN

Fans wishing the team luck at the next match. Photo; BIRN