KF Shkëndija: Meet Haverfordwest’s Conference League opponents
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For the first time in 20 years, Haverfordwest County are back in Europe, and their opponents will be KF Shkëndija of North Macedonia.
The first leg will take place in the Balkan nation, before both teams will play out the second leg at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Ahead of the game, we profile the Bluebirds’ opponents, and tell you all you need to know about them.
History
Situated near the border to Kosovo and Albania, KF Shkëndija was founded in 1979 by a group of ethnic Albanians in the town of Tetovo.
Very quickly, the club garnered a lot of supporters, especially amongst Albanians. However, the Yugoslav government at the time claimed the club ignited nationalistic tendencies and made the decision to disband the team in the 80s.
After North Macedonia claimed independence from Yugoslavia, Shkëndija were invited back to play in the Macedonian league.
Since 2010 in particular, the club have been on a tremendous rise and have been one of the most successful teams in the country during that period; winning four league titles and two Macedonian cups.
Stadium
The game will take place at the Ecolog Arena.
The ground holds 15,000 fans and is the second biggest stadium in North Macedonia.
Manager
The current manager of the Red and Blacks is Ardian Nuhiu.
Nuhiu is a former attacking midfielder who played the bulk of his career in North Macedonia.
This season will be his first in charge of Shkëndija, after moving over from Kosovan club Drita. He guided the club to some impressive European results, including draws against Antwerp and Feyenoord.
Embed from Getty ImagesPlayers to Watch
Without a doubt, Shkëndija’s strength comes from their wingers.
On one side they have Eraldo Çinari. An Albanian winger who joined the club in January, he wasted no time in making an impact. In his eleven league appearances, Çinari has scored a commendable eight goals.
On the other wing, they have Adenis Shala. While Çinari is more of a goalscorer, Shala can score and assist. With seven goals and nine assists last season, these two will be a problem over both legs.
In the right back spot, they have Metodi Maksimov. The youngster has recently broken into the Macedonian national team after impressing for the U21, scoring four goals from full-back.
European Pedigree
While Shkëndija have never reached the group stages of any European competition, they have reached the playoff round of the Europa League on three occasions.
They were defeated 6-1 by Ghent, 5-0 by Rosenborg, and 7-0 by AC Milan, the biggest game in the history of the club.
They do have history against another Welsh club too. In 2018, they defeated TNS 5-0 at home. The Saints won 4-0 in the return leg, but the then-Macedonian champions scraped through.
Last season, Shkëndija were knocked out in the third qualifying round of the Conference League by Swedish side AIK on penalties.
They will be hoping to reach their first ever European group stage this time round.
