Shkëndija at Easter Road: first leg against Hibernian tonight
Shkëndija plays at Easter Road in the first leg of the 3rd qualifying round; the return is scheduled next Thursday in Skopje.
Shkëndija visits Hibernian tonight at 21:00 CET at Easter Road in Edinburgh in the first leg of the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League; Hibernian celebrate their 151st anniversary today.
In its 74th European match, Shkëndija goes to Scotland determined to secure a positive result that would allow the Tetovo club to finish the job in the return leg next Thursday (13 August 2026) in Skopje and reach the play-off — a fourth such appearance in the club’s history.
After last season’s run into the group phase of the Conference League and the subsequent place in the round of 32, when Shkëndija enjoyed its first-ever European spring, the club has raised its own standards and now aims every year to compete for places in the main rounds.
Shkëndija’s staff warned that Hibernian can be an unfamiliar but dangerous opponent; the club reiterated that message at its press conference, and former domestic striker Bojan Miovski — who faced Hibernian several times while at Aberdeen and now at Rangers — also stressed the Scots are a tough test.
Injuries and options
Two absences worry the team: goalkeeper Babukar Gaje and left back Bojan Dimoski are both out with injuries. The club says the players who replace them have the quality to cover the full 90 minutes in Edinburgh.
The match will be broadcast live on MTV 2 for Macedonian viewers. Referee Menelaos Antoniou of Cyprus will take charge, with his assistants and VAR officials also coming from Cyprus. The winner of the Hibernian–Shkëndija tie will meet the victor of the Göteborg–Gent tie in the play-off for a place in the group stage.
Photo: press material from the event
