Benjamin Šeško an unsolvable riddle for Kazakhstan: the youngster scores his first hat-trick for Slovenia, who smashed their always unfavourable rivals
Who is the hero who will defeat Slovenia? The team of coach Matjaž Kek, who celebrated his 63rd birthday on Monday, has not faced an opponent who could challenge them since November 17th last year. True, Portugal defeated them at the Euro 2024, but only after a penalty shootout… In regular play – no one since Denmark! And before that, Slovenia was on a streak of six consecutive games without a loss. So, in total: Kek’s team has lost only one game in the last 18 matches (!) in regular time. At home, they have been unbeaten for over two years, or since Monday, they are on a 13-game unbeaten streak at Stožice.
Kazakhstan was not a worthy opponent for our heroes from the European Championship. Slovenia had everything under control in the match at Stožice, especially with him in the team. Benjamin Šeško was a nightmare for Kazakhstan. The young Slovenian forward scored a hat-trick, his first international hat-trick, and became the fifth top scorer in Slovenian national team history.
This was truly an incredible performance from the exceptionally in-form Šeško, who proved what he is truly capable of on a good day… In the other match of the second round of the Nations League, Norway faced Austria, with the hosts winning 2:1. Norway now leads the standings after two rounds, ahead of Slovenia.
Šeško Can Perform Even on a Muddy Pitch
Slovenian football, both international and club level, is experiencing a dream period, but soon players will increasingly sink into mud. Literal mud. Conditions for play in Slovenia are already poor. In some places, they are very poor, and in others, they are catastrophic. Although Stožice installed a new pitch only six months ago, it appears to have been severely damaged in some areas.
Autumn has barely shown its teeth when an old acquaintance has returned to Stožice. Mud also troubled the Slovenian national team during Monday’s Nations League match against Kazakhstan, and we can only imagine how it will be in a few weeks. The prospects are grim. Fortunately, Slovenia was excellent despite everything. Very good.
While those who should be taking care of the playing surfaces in Slovenia clearly seem unable to handle the situation, players in various jerseys are still successfully dealing with challenging playing conditions. Olimpija and Celje have made it to the Conference League, a historic achievement for Slovenian club football, while the national team has earned four points from the first two matches of the Nations League at Stožice, starting the competition in a really good way.
Fortunately, even the bad, soft, increasingly muddy pitch on Monday night did not stop Slovenia, especially Benjamin Šeško, who proved that quality is quality and can shine even on a poor surface. Benjamin Šeško had effectively dispelled any doubts about the winner within half an hour of play. His first goal was a rarely seen masterpiece. Dribbling with the ball, he elegantly navigated past four Kazakhstan defenders, who were left clueless about how to stop him. The finish was a perfect 10. Šeško delicately lobbed the ball over the Kazakh goalkeeper.
🚨🇪🇺 GOAL | Slovenia 1-0 Kazakhstan | Sesko
WHAT A GOAL FROM SESKO !!!!!!! 😳pic.twitter.com/d4Bojas7Wr
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 9, 2024
Just five minutes later, it was already 2:0, with the scorer again being Benjamin Šeško. His second goal wasn’t as spectacular but demonstrated his exceptional nose for goals. The visiting goalkeeper managed to block a shot from Petra Stojanović, but Šeško was in the right place at the right time. He headed the rebound past the grounded goalkeeper and then slotted it into the net with his right foot. 2:0!
In the second half, Slovenia was not as convincing or dominant, which is entirely understandable. Much of the job had already been done, and with a 2:0 lead on a difficult pitch, it was entirely logical to conserve energy and exercise a great deal of caution to avoid injuries, which occur more quickly on such surfaces. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan did not come close to seriously threatening the goal guarded by Jan Oblak. The Skrad was virtually untroubled, and in the 63rd minute, the visitors’ net shook for the third time. The scorer? Benjamin Šeško. Who else…
Slovenia earned a free kick on the right side of the pitch. The ball was delivered into the box by Erik Janža, and at the far post, Benjamin Šeško leaped almost literally into the clouds, outjumping everyone, including the Kazakh goalkeeper, and headed the ball into the net for his first international hat-trick! With Šeško’s third goal, Slovenia secured their first three points in the Nations League, and the Kazakh net could have been shaken further before the end of the match.
In the end, it wasn’t, but who cares. The victory was so high, Slovenia demonstrated its strength in an excellent way. Most importantly, we saw what Benjamin Šeško can truly bring to the national team on a good day. We can only hope there will be many more. Especially considering he is only 21 years old…
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
National Team
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