On the photo: Artur Ionita's debut match in the national team of Moldova took place on March 28, 2009 in the match against Switzerland (0:2) // Photo: fmf.md
It became the last one for the veteran of “tricolor” Artur Ionitsa, who spent 16 years in the national team.
The Moldovan national team was left in the minority in the 18th minute after midfielder Sergiu Perciun fouled Israeli player Dora Peretz in the penalty area. After referring to VAR, the referee Allard Lindhout from the Netherlands pointed to the spot and Dor Turgemann converted the penalty. Ion Nicolaescu, the top scorer of the Moldovan team, managed to restore parity in the score – 1:1 on 37 minutes. The 27-year-old striker has 18 goals in 56 matches.
The lack of one player affected the game of “tricolor” in the second half, when the Israelis scored three goals. Roy Revivo put his team ahead in the 65th minute, and Eliel Peretz increased the gap five minutes before the end of regulation time. Vladislav Baboglo set the final score in the 88th minute, cutting the ball into his own net – 4:1.
At the end of the match, the head of the coaching staff Lilian Popescu emphasized the fact that six players debuted for the national team, in whom he sees the future. “The young guys need to feel trust. I told them they have the right to make mistakes. We must accelerate the change of generations. The matches against Romania, Estonia, Italy and Israel were very useful for the players who will have to defend the colors of our national team from now on. I want to thank them for their dedication. I hope that in the near future there will be a holiday on our street,” said the specialist.
Israeli coach Ran-Ben Shimon was satisfied with the game of his wards and the conditions provided by the host side. “I always like my team, and in this match – especially. We created a lot of chances and realized some of them. We were provided with excellent conditions, for five stars,” the coach shared his impressions.
The meeting took place at the Zimbru stadium in Chisinau, although the Israelis were the formal hosts. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) obliged Israel to host opponents outside the country due to the escalating situation in the Middle East. Since October 2023, the national team has played “home” matches in Hungary, but for the meeting with Moldova, UEFA made an exception and allowed the game to be played on the opponent’s field.
The match was attended by 3.3 thousand people, which is almost three times less compared to the game three days ago, when 9.5 thousand fans came to watch the Italian national team.
The match with Israel was the last for 35-year-old midfielder Artur Ionitsa as a player of the national team of Moldova. During his 16-year career in the camp of “tricolor” he played in 81 matches, in which he scored five goals. The head of the national team coaching staff released the player for 24 minutes. In his recent interview for the press service of the Moldovan Football Federation (FMF), Ionica expressed pride in the fact that he reached the mark of 80 matches. “Every appearance on the field in the national team was an honor for me. I wish the national team to progress and young players to feel the support of coaches and fans,” concluded the veteran of the national team, who was recognized as the best footballer in Moldova in 2014.
The Moldovan national team took the last place in qualifying group I (see the standings), without a single victory. The first place was taken by Norway, which defeated Italy in the match of the 10th round at the “San Siro” stadium in Milan with the score 4:1. The Norwegian team won a direct ticket to the Mundial 2026. Four-time world champions Italy will have to fight for one of the four remaining spots in a playoff next spring.
Norwegian forward Erling Holann scored a double in the match against Italy. With 16 goals he continues to lead the table of scorers of the European qualifying tournament, which will end on November 18. The second place is occupied by Memphis Depay (Netherlands), who scored eight goals. Marko Arnautovic (Austria) and Harry Kane (England) have scored the same number of goals, but are second on extra points.
|
Final standings in Group I of the European qualifying cycle for the World Cup 2026 |
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|
№ |
National team | И | В | Н | П | М |
О |
|
1 |
Norway* |
8 |
8 | 0 | 0 | 37-5 |
24 |
|
2 |
Italy** |
8 |
6 | 0 | 2 | 21-12 |
18 |
|
3 |
Israel |
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19-20 |
12 |
|
4 |
Estonia |
8 |
1 | 1 | 6 | 8-21 |
4 |
|
5 |
Moldova |
8 |
0 | 1 | 7 | 5-32 |
1 |
| * The first place team in the group directly qualifies for the World Championship
** The second-placed team qualifies for the play-offs, in which 16 teams will play for four places. |
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