In the second division, specifically Group B, this past weekend featured the two teams from the Prefecture of Korçë as protagonists. Devolli won in Delvinë, while Maliqi triumphed in Memaliaj, with both victories away showing that both teams have high aspirations this season.

With such strong performances, it seems the Maliqi and Devolli players dominate the Team of the Week, as 5 players have been selected from these two squads, and the best coach of the week is from Devolli.

For Maliqi, the defenders Agolli and Meçollari are included in the Team of the Week. On the other hand, the best players from Devolli this past week were Ivani, Hasaj, and Zymeri.

At the end, they are joined by the best coach of the week, Trifon Meraku. Thus, Devolli and Maliqi made a statement this week, and we hope they continue at this pace.

Best of luck to all the standout players and both teams, Devolli and Maliqi, who are performing excellently so far!

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

Week 8 of the “Abissnet Superiore” championship took place this weekend and concluded on Sunday afternoon with the matches Vllaznia – Elbasani and Teuta – Tirana.

The coaches of the national youth teams have selected the team of the week and the coach of the week after analyzing the 5 matches played in the “Abissnet Superiore” championship. According to the coaches, the goalkeeper of the week was Kristi Qarri, the guardian of Vllaznia. The defensive line includes Qëndrim Ismajli (Tirana), Dynel Simeu (Teuta), Marcelino Preka (Partizani), and Arsid Kruja (Teuta). The midfield consists of Lorran (Dinamo), Cristian Dros (Elbasani), and Esat Mala (Vllaznia).

Meanwhile, the three forwards of the week are Kevin Dodaj (Vllaznia), Dardan Vuthaj (Egnatia), and Baton Zabërgja (Dinamo). Vuthaj scored the winning goal for Egnatia in the match against Skënderbeu, while Zabërgja netted the second goal for Dinamo in their victory over Laçi.

According to the coaches, the best technician of week 8 is Edi Martini. Teuta, managed by Martini, defeated Tirana yesterday with a score of 3-1.

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

The U-19 National Team will also take the field today to begin preparations for two friendly matches against Montenegro, scheduled for October 11 and 13. Coach Julian Ahmataj has called up 21 players for these two matches, with 13 of them playing in clubs abroad, while the rest play for teams in Albania.

The U-19 National Team will start their training camp in Shkodër this Monday. The first match for the red and blacks is set to take place on October 11 in Podgorica at 13:00, while the second match is scheduled for two days later, on October 13 at 12:00. These two friendlies will serve as the final test for Albania, led by coach Julian Ahmataj, to evaluate the squad before they compete in the first round of the qualifiers for the 2025 European Championship for this age group in November. Albania is in Group 11 alongside Israel, Denmark, and Northern Ireland, with the goal of advancing to the “Elite Round.”

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

Players from the “Skënderbeu” academy Flavio Shkëmbi, Kristian Agolli, and Spasian Nasto have been called up by coach Andrea Tedesco for the Under-17 national team’s qualifying matches against the Netherlands, Croatia, and the Faroe Islands, which are part of UEFA EURO 2025!

Proud of you, Wolves!

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

The Albanian U-17 national team begins its gathering today as part of the preparations for the first round of qualifiers for the European Championship “Albania 2025” for this age group. The coach of the red and black team, Andrea Tedesco, has announced today the list of 22 players called up for the three official matches of this round, which will take place in our country during this month.

11 of the players on this list play for foreign clubs, while the rest come from the Albanian league. The U-17 technical staff has held several friendly matches and selections this year to properly prepare for this qualifying round. The team will conduct its preparations in Tirana from October 6 until the end of the matches.

The draw has placed the Albanian national team in Group 3 alongside the Netherlands, Croatia, and the Faroe Islands, with matches scheduled for October 9, 12, and 15, 2024.

Albania U-17 will play its first match against Croatia on October 9, with the match starting at 15:00, and on October 12, it will face the Netherlands (15:00). Both of these matches will be held at the “Air Albania” stadium. Meanwhile, Albania’s third and final group match will be against the Faroe Islands, scheduled for October 15 at 13:30, to be played at the “Egnatia Arena.”

The finals of this competition will take place in Albania in May 2025, a major event organized by the Albanian Football Federation and UEFA, with preparations for hosting this event already underway. The Albanian national team is automatically qualified for the finals as the host country, while the top seven teams from each group will join the Albanian team in these finals.

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

Devolli has played 3 matches in the 3 weeks of the second division championship, and following two draws, they have now achieved their first win of the season, freeing themselves from the “nightmare” of draws.

Today’s victory came in the challenging away match against Delvina, where the three points could have been secured earlier, as Devolli ended the first half in a 0-0 tie.

In the second half, specifically in the 61st minute, Ivani put Devolli ahead. However, just 6 minutes later, Delvina equalized the score at 1-1. Hasaj scored the second and winning goal 10 minutes before the end, sparking celebrations among the Devolli players, who finally achieved their first victory.

In three weeks, it’s worth noting that Devolli has 2 draws and 1 loss, currently placing them in fifth position.

Good luck to Devolli, coach Meraku, and president Spartak Meraku!

GROUP B:

• Memaliaj – Maliqi 1-2
  Scorers: Hyzellari 50′ / Kame 83′, Demollari 89′ (penalty)
• Këlcyra – Tomori 0-0
• Turbina – Shkumbini 2-3
  Scorers: Mesia 17′, Ismailaj 45′ / Nexha 10′, Sulkja 13′, Mounde 45′
• Butrinti – Oriku 0-0
• Delvina – Devolli 1-2
  Scorers: Arroyo 67′ / Ivani 61′, Hasaj 80′

STANDINGS:

• Oriku: 7 points
• Shkumbini: 7 points
• Maliqi: 6 points
• Butrinti: 5 points
• Devolli: 5 points
• Tomori: 4 points
• Luftëtari: 3 points
• Këlcyra: 2 points
• Turbina: 1 point
• Delvina: 0 points
• Memaliaj: 0 points

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

The Maliqi team was saved by the last 7 minutes of today’s match, winning with “hearts in hand” away from home. The team coached by Egli Malësija won 1-2 against Memaliaj.

This is a valuable win for Maliqi, which now has a total of 6 points after the two weeks of play. The first half today ended in a goalless draw (0-0), while three goals were scored in the second half.

The home team was the first to score in the 50th minute through Hyzellari. It seemed like everything would go in favor of Memaliaj, but in the last 7 minutes, Maliqi ignited their “engines.” In the 83rd minute, Kame equalized the score, paving the way for a series of victories.

One minute before the end, Maliqi was awarded a penalty, and Demollari shot accurately, lifting the Maliqi players for a celebration of victory.

Even though only 3 weeks have been played, Maliqi has participated in two matches and achieved two wins, totaling 6 points.

Good luck, Maliqi!

GROUP B:

• Memaliaj – Maliqi 1-2
  Scorers: Hyzellari 50′ / Kame 83′, Demollari 89′ (penalty)
• Këlcyra – Tomori 0-0
• Turbina – Shkumbini 2-3
  Scorers: Mesia 17′, Ismailaj 45′ / Nexha 10′, Sulkja 13′, Mounde 45′
• Butrinti – Oriku 0-0
• Delvina – Devolli 1-2
  Scorers: Arroyo 67′ / Ivani 61′, Hasaj 80′

STANDINGS:

• Oriku: 7 points
• Shkumbini: 7 points
• Maliqi: 6 points
• Butrinti: 5 points
• Devolli: 5 points
• Tomori: 4 points
• Luftëtari: 3 points
• Këlcyra: 2 points
• Turbina: 1 point
• Delvina: 0 points
• Memaliaj: 0 points

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

Skënderbeu defeated Barleti Volley yesterday in the 4th week of the women’s superleague. It was an easy victory for Orlando Koja’s girls, who found this win straightforward from start to finish.

The assessment Skënderbeu made of the capital team meant that in “Asllan Rusi,” the red-and-white girls didn’t spare the capital squad, winning with a clean score of 0-3.

Following this victory, Skënderbeu continues to stay at the top with 4 wins in as many matches, alongside Partizani.

According to information from the coaching staff for this match, Elena Bego was the best player, scoring a total of 15 points. Congratulations to the captain of Skënderbeu!

Next week, Skënderbeu will host Pogradeci in the southeastern derby, as they aim for another win.

Good luck to the Skënderbeu girls!

Skënderbeu’s Women’s Volleyball Calendar 2024-2025

PHASE I

• Week 1: Skënderbeu – Teuta 3-1
• Week 2: Dinamo – Skënderbeu 0-3
• Week 3: Skënderbeu – Vllaznia 3-0
• Week 4: Barleti Volley – Skënderbeu 0-3
• Week 5: Skënderbeu – Pogradeci October 12, 2024 17:00
• Week 6: Skënderbeu – Partizani October 18, 2024 17:00
• Week 7: Tirana – Skënderbeu October 25, 2024 18:00

PHASE II

• Week 8: Teuta – Skënderbeu January 31, 2025 14:00
• Week 9: Skënderbeu – Dinamo February 8, 2025 17:00
• Week 10: Vllaznia – Skënderbeu February 14, 2025 14:00
• Week 11: Skënderbeu – Barleti Volley February 22, 2025 17:00
• Week 12: Pogradeci – Skënderbeu March 14, 2025 17:00
• Week 13: Partizani – Skënderbeu March 21, 2025 17:00
• Week 14: Skënderbeu – Tirana March 28, 2025 17:00

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

It was expected that yesterday would be a turning point for Skënderbeu, but that did not happen, and after the loss to Egnatia at home, Skënderbeu confirmed that it is in a results crisis, which frankly was not anticipated.

If someone had thought at the beginning of the season that after 8 weeks Skënderbeu would have only 7 points, no one would have signed off on that fact. But today, 7 points and 8th place in the standings is a reality.

In these 8 weeks, Skënderbeu has only 2 victories, 1 draw, and a staggering 5 losses—losses that they did not actually deserve all of, yet they are present and have put the team in a very difficult situation.

Only 8 matches have been played, with 28 still to go until the end, but a turnaround should have happened at home to overcome the crisis. Instead, the loss deepened this crisis, and immediate action is needed to navigate this situation. How to intervene, undoubtedly, President Ardjan Takaj knows better than anyone else, not to mention that Coach Ivan Gvozdenoviç also knows how to act in such situations.

Now we will have a two-week break, and this is a moment for reflection—a moment for the team to put their “finger” on their heads to show that Skënderbeu is still there; they just lack the results, as they have the group.

Go Skënderbeu! This situation truly needs to be overcome…

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”

Skënderbeu continues to struggle, suffering another defeat, this time at home against Egnatia. The team from Korça remains in 8th place in the Play-Out. After the match, coach Ivan Gvozdenovic spoke to ART Sport.

“We didn’t deserve this match. The red card decided it and made things difficult for us. We are very frustrated. In the first half, we had confidence. Egnatia didn’t play as they usually do. We need a little time.

We reacted well, but the goal came at a moment when we were down to 10 players. Egnatia never really threatened. We tried everything: 4 forwards, pressing from the sides, but this was the maximum. A draw would have been fair; Egnatia was not the better team.

We concede too many goals and score too few. Today we were punished while playing with 10 players. We could have organized better defensively, but it was very difficult.

The results will come, definitely. If we don’t have confidence, we will never get out of this tough moment. We will continue to fight,” said Gvozdenovic.

EDITED by:

“KORÇA BOOM”