Igor Marković wins debut as North Macedonia beat Serbia 29-21

Igor Marković marked his first match in charge of the North Macedonia women’s national handball team with a convincing 29-21 victory over Serbia on September 24, 2026. The win confirmed the hosts' pre-match favoritism but the new coach warned that the job is only beginning.

Debut win, but a clear warning from the bench

Marković praised the team's determination and the crowd who came to support them, while stressing that further work is necessary if the side is to progress. "I am very grateful to the Serbian national team for a fair and combative game, and even more grateful to all the fans who came today to support us and help us reach the victory we wanted so much. Regarding the match itself, I can be satisfied with the play and the result. We are not deceiving ourselves, I know there is a lot of work ahead of us; we will also have October to gather and work hard because that is the only way to continue improving," he said.

Marković singled out the squad's fighting spirit and energy on the court as positives, while noting that changes in attack will not be visible after only a few training sessions. "I can say that I am satisfied with the team's fighting spirit; I am also pleased with the energy of the girls on the court. As for the defense, everything was okay; I know we have a lot of room for improvement. Regarding the attack, it is clear to me that we cannot immediately implement everything we work on in the first four or five trainings together. Only after some time will I know whether the players have accepted what I ask of them in the way I want it, or whether we will need to change something," he added.

The next match is scheduled for September 25, 2026, when North Macedonia faces Montenegro at 17:30.

Despite the comfortable scoreline, Marković emphasised that regular training windows must be used effectively if the team is to build on this start and reach higher competitive levels.

Photo: press material from the event