In the photo: club "Spartanii-Sportul" before the Super League match with "Sheriff" (March 2025) Photo © facebook.com
After the first match against Saksan (3:0), the Zimbru team needed only not to concede more than two goals. Hikmet Karaman’s wards successfully coped with this task, although they were the first to concede a goal. Saksan forward Daniel Kucher opened the scoring in the 3rd minute of the match, but Andriy Makritsky equalized the score in the 75th minute. Just two minutes later, Zimbru’s Israeli international Guy Daan put the Chisinau club ahead – 1:2 (Saksan was the nominal host of the return match, although it took place in Hincesti – author’s note). The 5:1 score of the two games ensured that the Bison would advance to the semifinals.
In their return meetings, Sheriff and Milsami beat their opponents with a minimum score of 1:0. The Tiraspol club, thanks to the efforts of Alex Marusic, defeated CSF Bălți away, while Milsami defeated Petrocub at home in Orhei (the goal was scored by Sibiri Keita in the 83rd minute).
While this was enough for the Tiraspol team (in the first match they defeated their opponents 4:1), “Milsami” had to defend its right to play in the semifinals in a penalty shootout. In the first match “Petrocub” won (2:1), and at the end of two meetings the score became equal – 2:2. In the penalty shootout Milsami players were more successful (4:3) and advanced to the semifinals, where they will play with the club “Spartanii-Sportul”.
After a fighting draw in the first match between the club from Selemet and FCM Ungheni (3:3), the fate of the confrontation in the return meeting was decided by 19-year-old forward Fabian Pegza. He scored the only goal in the 47th minute, and for the first time in the club history led “Spartanii-Sportul” to the semifinals of the Moldovan Cup. For the village of Selemet, where the club is based, with a population of about 4,000 inhabitants, this is a historic event.
The semi-finals of the Moldovan Football Cup “Sheriff” – “Zimbru” and “Spartanii-Sportul” – “Milsami” will be held on April 30 (first matches) and May 14 (return matches). The winners will advance to the final, which will take place on May 24 at the Sheriff stadium in Tiraspol.
