Stojanche Trpchevski appointed referee for Shkendija–Vardar derby in Gostivar
Five First League matches run from Oct 23–25, 2026; VAR team for the derby will be Vlatko Ilioski and Boris Trajkov.
Stojanche Trpchevski has been appointed the head referee for the high-profile derby between Shkendija and Vardar in Gostivar, scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 14:00.
The 11th round of the First Macedonian Football League is played across three days, from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25, 2026. All five fixtures in the round attract attention, but the spotlight will be on the Saturday afternoon clash in Gostivar.
Referees and match schedule for round 11
- Friday, October 23 — Kratovo: Sileks – Shkendija A (Done Ristovski), 14:00.
- Saturday, October 24 — Struga: Struga TL – Skopje (Blagojche Ralevski), 12:00.
- Saturday, October 24 — Gostivar: Shkendija – Vardar (Stojanche Trpchevski), 14:00. Assistant referees with him will be Aleksandar Gjurokovski, Filip Itskovski and Aleksandar Vasilevski. In the VAR room will be Vlatko Ilioski and Boris Trajkov.
- Sunday, October 25 — Gostivar: Arsimi – Bregalnica (Benjamin Kerimi), 12:00.
- Sunday, October 25 — Kavadarci: Tikvesh – Bashkimi (Dimitar Pileshkov), 14:00.
The Football Association confirmed the referee appointments ahead of the weekend fixtures, naming the teams who will run the sidelines and the VAR operators for the marquee match in Gostivar.
With the calendar compressed into three days, clubs will be watching both the on-field officials and the VAR team closely, particularly for the Škendija–Vardar encounter that could have a major influence on the standings.
Photo: press material from the event
