Two lower‑league matches in Skopje area abandoned after darkness and a single ball

Two weekend matches in the Skopje area of North Macedonia ended prematurely after unusual small‑club problems — one stopped because it grew too dark to continue, the other because the home side had only a single ball available.

Darkness halts Marino–Preparimi

In a Third League, Region 1 fixture between Marino and Preparimi of the village Nikishtane the visitors turned up without identity documents and medical confirmations. The scheduled 14:30 kick‑off was delayed while the missing paperwork was addressed, and the game ran late into the evening.

The match could not be completed because visibility deteriorated; it was abandoned in the 75th minute when, as was reported, "it was pitch dark; you couldn't see a hand in front of your face."

Lower down the pyramid, in a Fourth League fixture at the village of Shishevo the hosts welcomed Olimpik. With the score 0–2, a home player sent the ball over the boundary and it turned out the home club had only one ball available for the match.

After roughly fifteen minutes of waiting — during which the ball was reportedly found and then pumped — one of the home players left the field and the rest followed, and the match did not resume.

Both incidents underline the organisational and resource challenges that still afflict amateur football in the region, producing moments that are as farcical as they are disruptive.

Report: Ognen Dojcinovski — published 4 November 2026

Photo: press material from the event