Mexico `86 | FIFA World Cup Qualifyings | Albania – Poland 0-1

Was the preparation of the National Team sufficient?

Thursday, May 30, 1985, at the “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium. Time: 17;30
Albania – Poland 0-1 
Scorer: Bonjek 24`
Albania: Musta – Zmijani, Hodja, Targaj, Omuri – Jera, Muca (Mile 60′), Demollari, (Marko 81), Josa – Minga, Kola. Coach: Shyqyri Rreli

Poland: Mlinarcik – Pavlak, Vojcicki, Pshebesh, Ostrovski – Matishik, Bunkol, Urban, (Tarasevic 87′), Dzhekanovski – Bonjek, Smolarek. Coach: Antoni Piahnicek 

Referees: Zhezhov, Jerimov, Dotcev (Bulgaria)  | Viewers: 17000 |
Corners: 6-5

When a match like this end, there are many different feelings. The resentment for the loss is combined with the desire for victory, the enthusiasm for the fight and the fast game in the most dramatic episodes when albanians were so close to the goal with the regret that reflects the subsequent game without nerve or thought. Of course, in a football match you can experience so much, even more positive and negative emotions, but in the end all these, after confronting each other, come out on a path, which in the evening is not the evaluation for the match.

For the meeting with the Polish team, winner of the 3rd place in the last world championship, albanian team had its own claims, and not without basis. Their chances for a future qualifying meeting were completely real. And we are not asking too much when we make this claim: the demand for a new quality must be accompanied by the growth of the game and the authority of the national team, which is the one that brought us the joy of these claims.

Let’s take a quick look at the match. A fast start and an ideal chance for Minga in the 2nd minute. Hesitation, unprepared for the created situation and certainly cannot be marked. Later, the game will be tied to come to the 24th minute when Boniek, after receiving a masterful ball from Urban, shoots hard and 1-0!

The defenders’ mistake, the goalkeeper’s?

Even more the merits of the great Polish player! A few minutes after this hit, our football players will reveal all the strength and beauty of our football, which for 15 minutes deeply corroded the Polish team. Josa shook Mlinarcik’s crossbar in the 34′, Demollari in the goal without a goalkeeper shoots out (?!), and later Kola and Minga are unable to address the ball in the empty goal. They were therefore the most beautiful minutes of the match, inspiring for the realization of the request in the second half.

And it started precisely under the same sound of our attack, but that gradually fades away until the game is suddenly released completely in the 70th minute, without any sign of improvement. So in this flow it goes towards that unwanted end.

It is true that for a long time our national team was not defeated by the opponent, did not get stuck in defense, on the contrary, played with an attacking emphasis and in search of a positive result. So convincing and unforgettable are the 15-20 minutes of fiery play of our football players, who guided the opponent.

Besides, apparently, our team does not have enough minutes of good play to be effective. He needs at least twice or more such strength, or more conviction, ingenuity, intelligence, fantasy, endurance to face such matches at such qualifying heights. It is different to play, and different to play to qualify for the world championship. For such levels, much more serious preparations are required. ……

Excerpted from “Sporti Popullor” / June 4, 1985 / p. 1, 4 / I. Bellova & N. Gjuzi

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