Matjaž Kek will also support: The under-21 national team is chasing the Euro, Milenko Aćimović and his selected players at the penultimate obstacle with Cyprus
Photo: Loris Cipot / Sportida
Matjaž Kek will not enjoy a rest from morning until evening the day after Slovenia’s impressive victory over Kazakhstan. He will soon be on the move again. The reason? Football. Slovenia’s head coach made it clear after the Nations League match that he will be in Murska Sobota on Tuesday, specifically at Fazanerija, to support the U21 national team, which is just two matches away from qualifying for the European Championship. The team, led from the coaching bench by Milenko Aćimović, recently drew 1:1 in France and continues to lead in Group H. This time, their opponent in Murska Sobota will be Cyprus. Although a win won’t bring a definitive answer, the importance of the match, which will start at 6:00 PM, cannot be understated.
“The point against France is a good stepping stone for the match against Cyprus. The French national team is phenomenal and well-organized. Now we face a different match, against Cyprus. We are the favorites at home, we are aware of that, but we must be very careful,” emphasized U21 coach Milenko Aćimović in an interview with the NZS website, who had to sit in the stands in Angers due to a suspension but will be back on the bench this time.
“We discussed with the boys, analyzed Cyprus as best as we could. The Cypriots have drawn twice with Austria, they come to us without pressure from the result, but they know how to play. I believe we have nothing to fear and that the points will stay in Slovenia, if we approach the game as we have throughout the qualifiers, including the match in France,” is the belief of the legendary Ljubljančan.
Aćimović: “No Retakes”
Cyprus is still without a win after five matches and cannot even qualify for the playoffs, which are led by the second place in the standings. So far, they have drawn twice with Austria, which are their only points. The Cypriots have scored only four goals and conceded 17. Slovenia won the first match in Cyprus 3:0, with Tio Cipot scoring two goals and David Flakus Bosilj also finding the net.
“Every match has been crucial, we have found extra motivation in each one. We are in a group of five teams and therefore there are no retakes. I always emphasize this to the boys, no retakes, we must approach every game as we have so far, I am not afraid for the result. There are still two matches left, starting with the last home game. It would be nice to end with a positive result, a win, which would mean a lot before the final match in Austria,” added Milenko Aćimović, who is not without concerns before the match in Prekmurje. Uncertain for the match are Svit Sešlar, Marcel Ratnik, and Srđan Kuzmić, with the former teammates from Olimpija being among the most important members of the team.
“We will see how things will go with Svit Sešlar, Marcel Ratnik, and Srđan Kuzmić. It looks like they will be in contention for participation,” Milenko Aćimović held onto a sliver of hope. The match Slovenia – Cyprus, as mentioned, will start at 6:00 PM, with coverage on Sportklub, and tickets priced at 8 euros. Children up to 14 years old can enter the stadium for free. It would be great if the public supported the young players. They deserve it!
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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