North Macedonia: from Tbilisi triumph in 2020 to struggles to score before Scotland
Six years after Goran Pandev’s goal in Tbilisi that sealed Euro 2021 qualification, the national team now faces difficulties finding the net before the Glasgow match on 13 November 2026.
On 12 November 2026 we looked back to a moment that still lives in the memory of North Macedonian football fans: exactly six years earlier, on 12 November 2020, the team travelled to Tbilisi and produced a moment that changed the nation's sporting history.
The decisive moment came with the goal by Pandev that secured qualification for Euro 2021. Victory over Georgia in Tbilisi sparked nationwide euphoria; Angelovski, Pandev, Ademi, Ristovski, Nestorovski, Elmas, Alioski, Dimitrievski and others were celebrated as heroes.
From highs to a different kind of pressure
Under coaches Angelovski and Milevski that generation was a force in European football: they beat Georgia in the playoff to reach the European Championship, recorded an away win over Germany in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, took part in the European Championship, and later beat Italy away in the playoff for the 2022 World Cup — coming within 90 minutes of reaching the World Cup in Qatar.
But the contrast with the present is stark. Instead of chasing another piece of history, the team is now searching for goals. In the run-up to the match against Scotland in Glasgow — scheduled for 13 November 2026 — concern about the attack has grown: scoring has become difficult and the mood is more anxious than celebratory.
Supporters and commentators have responded with a blunt plea: "Come on, boys, score a goal...!" The chant captures the impatience and hope ahead of the Glasgow fixture.
Fans are revisiting images from 12 November 2020 in Tbilisi to remind themselves what the team once achieved — and to urge a return to that form ahead of tomorrow's game on 13 November 2026.
Photo: press material from the event
