Controversial overturned penalty at Skopje–Vardar match

Controversy surrounded the Prva Liga match at Autokomanda on October 12, 2026, when a penalty initially awarded to Skopje was later overturned after a VAR check. The decision — and a later, unofficial remark attributed to the referee — has stirred debate about the match's outcome and possible title implications.

The decisive moment

At 0:0, Skopje forward Bozhinovski fired a shot that struck Vardar defender Manevski's arm while Manevski was falling and his hand was close to the ground. Referee Furkan Idrizi immediately pointed to the penalty spot, but the VAR booth — where Aleksandar Uroshevik and Vjolca Izeiri were monitoring — intervened.

Idrizi went to the pitchside monitor, reviewed the footage and then rescinded his original call: the penalty was cancelled. Minutes later Skopje took the lead through Angelov to make it 1:0, but the match finished 1–2 in favor of Vardar.

Had the penalty stood and Skopje converted, the scoreline might have become 2:0; some observers suggest those two points could prove decisive in the title race. The possibility that a single overturned decision will affect the championship has become part of the post-match discussion.

Unofficially, media present at the stadium report that before reviewing the footage Idrizi told players: "if it wasn't offside, then it's a penalty." That remark, attributed to the referee, added fuel to the controversy surrounding the VAR intervention.

Fans and club officials are still debating the sequence of events from Autokomanda, and the incident is likely to be reviewed further in coming days as the league race intensifies.

Photo: press material from the event