Aleksa Amanović crowned with Ordabasy but remains uncapped for North Macedonia
Left‑footed centre‑back won a title with Ordabasy after Astana, yet has no senior appearances and reportedly declined national offers.
Aleksa Amanović sealed another domestic title in Kazakhstan this weekend, lifting the championship with Ordabasy after earlier success with Astana — yet he remains without a senior appearance for North Macedonia.
From Partizan youth to Kazakh champion
The 30-year-old left-footed centre-back has built his career abroad after coming through Partizan’s youth ranks and breaking into first-team football at Javor Ivanjica. He was a regular for North Macedonia’s youth sides and started in the U21 qualifying campaign under coach Dobrinko Ilievski, later appearing at the U21 European Championship in Poland.
Amanović moved to Kazakhstan where he played for Tobol and Astana before joining Ordabasy. With Ordabasy he featured in 28 of the 29 league matches for the champions this season and collected the title that follows his earlier successes in the country.
At the same time, North Macedonia’s senior national team finds itself in a complicated phase. Under coach Goce Sedloski the team are competing in UEFA Nations League B — the highest level they have reached in that competition — but recent results, including the World Cup play-off ties against Denmark and Ireland, Nations League fixtures and friendlies versus Bosnia and Turkey, produced no goals and left the staff searching for answers.
For attacking solutions the article named Milan Iloski, Darko Dodev and Daniel Avramovski as in-form options. The broader debate in Skopje has been about refreshing the squad with younger players, but several voices argue that experienced performers in good form, like Amanović, should not be overlooked.
Reports from Kazakhstan quoted Amanović answering negatively when asked if he would represent Kazakhstan and — according to those accounts — replying the same about North Macedonia: "No, I will not play even for Macedonia." The reports raise a practical question for the federation and coaching staff: has anyone made a formal approach to the player to clarify his position?
There is at least one confirmed encounter: former North Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevski met Amanović briefly during preparations in Antalya, an encounter described as cool on the player’s side. Observers say that only a direct, documented contact and an unequivocal response from the player would end speculation. Skipping experienced, quality players is a luxury North Macedonia can ill afford, voices in the debate conclude.
Photo: press material from the event
