Lilian Popescu summoned six players from Petrocub, the club where he holds the position of sports director // Photo: fmf.md.
The list includes 25 footballers, 10 of whom play in Moldovan clubs and 15 in foreign ones. Among the Super League clubs, Petrocub has the largest representation – six players. “Zimbru and Sheriff are represented by two players each.
Changes in the squad
For the first time 18-year-old defender of Italian “Torino” Daniel Tonica, 29-year-old midfielder of Romanian “Corvinul” Ion Carerus and 20-year-old striker of “Petrocub” Nicolae Rotaru were called up to the national team.
Compared to matches of the qualifying cycle to the World Cup, held in November, the national team did not include defender Oleg Ryabchuk of Spartak Moscow (Russia), midfielders Stefan Bytka of Zalaegerszeg (Hungary), Mikhail Caimakov of Slaven Belupo (Croatia), forwards Vitaly Damascan of Maccabi (Bnei-Reine, Israel), Ion Nicolaescu of Maccabi (Croatia), and Ion Nicolaescu of Maccabi (Hungary).
(Tel Aviv, Israel), Virgiliu Postolacchi from Universitatea (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) and Vlad Rayleanu from Rukh (Ukraine).
Sheriff goalkeeper Emil Tymbur, midfielder of Bnei Yehuda (Israel) Victor Stine and striker of Bihor 1902 (Romania) Alexander Boiciuc, who had already been called up to the national team, again got the opportunity to play for the “tricolor”.
Preparation for the fall
The upcoming friendlies are preparatory matches before the matches of the group stage. division C Nations LeagueMoldova will have to play against Slovakia, Kazakhstan and Faroe Islands. The Football Federation announced two more friendly matches scheduled for June. The opponents, dates and venues will be announced later.
The upcoming match with Lithuania will be held on March 26 at the Zimbru stadium in Chisinau, starting at 17:00. Then “tricolor” will have an away meeting with the national team of Cyprus. The match will be held on March 30 at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia, starting at 19:00.
The Moldovan national team has met Lithuania eight times, winning two times, drawing four times and losing in two meetings. There were two matches with the national team of Cyprus. In one of them Cypriots won, in the other – Moldovan footballers. All matches had a friendly status.
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Expanded composition of the Moldovan national soccer team for the matches against Lithuania and Cyprus in March 2026 |
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| № | Footballer | Club where he plays | Number of matches in the national team | Number of goals for the national team |
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Goalkeepers |
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| 1 | Christian Avram | “Araz-Nakhchivan” (Azerbaijan) | 16 | ___ |
| 2 | Andriy Kozhukhar | “Veres” (Ukraine) | 5 | ___ |
| 3 | Emil Tymbur | “Sheriff” | 2 | ___ |
| Defenders | ||||
| 4 | Vladyslav Baboglo | “Karpaty (Ukraine) | 24 | 2 |
| 5 | Ion Borsh | “Petrocub” | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | Mikhail Gerasimenkov | “Vancouver Whitecaps” (Canada) | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | Daniel Dumbrevanu | “Voluntari” (Romania) | 10 | 0 |
| 8 | Artur Craciun | LKS “Lodz” (Poland) | 38 | 0 |
| 9 | Kathleen Kukosz | “Petrocub” | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Sergiu Platica | “Petrocub” | 56 | 0 |
| 11 | Ioan-Calin Revenko | “Tatran Prešov” (Slovakia) | 26 | 1 |
| 12 | Daniel Tonica | “Torino” (Italy) | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Michal Stefan | “Zimbru” | 2 | 0 |
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Midfielders |
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| 14 | Viktor Bogachuk | “Petrocub” | 16 | 2 |
| 15 | Stefan Bodisteanu | “Botoșani” (Romania) | 10 | 1 |
| 16 | Ion Carerus | “Corvinul” (Romania) | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Teodor Lungu | “Unirea”
(Slobozia, Romania) |
1 | 0 |
| 18 | Sergiu Perciun | “Torino” (Italy) | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Dan Puskás | “Petrocub” | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Vadim Racă | “Argeș” (Romania) | 61 | 3 |
| 21 | Victor Styne | “Bnei Yehuda” (Israel) | 26 | 3 |
| 22 | Danila Forov | “Sheriff” | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Vladimir Fratya | “Zimbru” | 2 | 0 |
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Forwards |
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| 24 | Alexandru Boiciuc | “Bihor 1902 (Romania) | 13 | 0 |
| 25 | Nicolae Rotaru | “Petrocub” | 0 | 0 |
