The Albanian U-19 Women’s National Team faced a challenging second match in the Round 1 qualifiers for the 2026 UEFA Women’s European Championship, falling 6–0 to a strong Slovakian side. The match took place today at the “Arena Egnatia” Stadium, where the young Albanian team struggled to keep pace after an early red card shifted the momentum entirely in Slovakia’s favor.
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| Albanian girls of the U-19 squad singing the national anthem before the match with Slovakia |
Slovakia opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Michaela Pekarova, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to give her team a 1–0 lead. Just four minutes later, Albania’s situation worsened dramatically. Kadiolli committed a foul inside the penalty area, resulting in a red card that left Albania with 10 players for the remaining 66 minutes. Although goalkeeper Mone made an impressive save on the penalty, the numerical disadvantage proved costly.
Slovakia doubled their lead just before halftime, with Tamara Kramlikova finding the net to make it 2–0 heading into the break. Despite Albania’s attempts to reorganize and remain compact, the second half became an uphill battle.
In the final 45 minutes, Slovakia’s attacking quality was fully on display. The team added four more goals, scored by Havalec, a brace from Gondova, and another from Bekecova, sealing a convincing 6–0 victory.
Elsewhere in the group, the second match of the day took place at the “Air Albania” Stadium, where Luxembourg defeated Liechtenstein 4–0, tightening the race for qualification spots.
Despite the loss, Albania still has one match left to leave a positive impression in the qualifiers. The U-19 Women will play their final encounter on December 1 at “Arena Egnatia”, facing Liechtenstein at 13:30. Fans can watch the match live on FSHF TV, as the young team aims to finish the qualifying campaign on a stronger note.
This qualifying round serves as an important development platform for Albania's youth players, offering exposure to high-level European football and the opportunity to grow individually and collectively. While today’s result was a difficult one, the experience gained can play a crucial role in future competitions.
As the final match approaches, supporters in Albania remain hopeful that the U-19 squad can bounce back, show resilience, and close the tournament with a determined performance against Liechtenstein.