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Macedonian defender Ezgjan Alioski has said that his team want to realize their FIFA World Cup dream, even if it is attained at Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo's expense.
Alioski’s North Macedonia took on Italy in the World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final on March 24. Against all odds, the underdogs overcame the reigning European champions, winning 1-0, courtesy of Aleksander Trajkovski’s injury-time stunner.
Portugal, meanwhile, beat Turkey with a 3-1 scoreline in the other playoff semi-final. It was far from a straightforward affair for the Seleccao, even if the scoreline would suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, Otavio, Diogo Jota, Matheus Nunes' goals and Burak Yilmaz's missed penalty for Turkey sealed Portugal's passage in the final.
On Tuesday night (March 29), Ronaldo’s Portugal and Alioski’s North Macedonia are set to play for a place at the Qatar World Cup. Having never played at a World Cup before, North Macedonia are eager to make history this week.
Their first-choice left-back Alioski has warned that his team are prepared to do 'everything' to stamp out their passports for Qatar. Speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick (via Ojogo), the Al-Ahli defender said:
“We have eliminated a great team like Italy, champion of Europe, and we still don't have the passport to the World Cup stamped. We pursue our dream and will do everything to make it come true.”
The 30-year-old then praised Ronaldo for playing at the highest level consistently for almost two decades. However, the full-back was far from being submissive. Vouching to try their best to realize their aspirations, he added:
“He has been playing at a high level for almost 20 years. Naturally, he has the goal of going to the World Cup. We don't want to spoil his life, but we want to make our dream come true.”
A mouth-watering clash will be played at the Estadio do Dragao in Portugal, which could make for another difficult outing for North Macedonia. Portugal will be looking to qualify for their sixth World Cup in a row.
Cristiano Ronaldo will look to inspire Portugal to victory after drawing a blank against Turkey
Cristiano Ronaldo did not have the best of games against Turkey. He was successfully nullified by the Turkish defense, barely getting any room to trouble the keeper. Over the course of the 90, he only managed to keep two of his shots on target, hitting the woodwork once. He also missed two big chances and conceded possession 11 times.
North Macedonia could try to follow the Turkish blueprint to nullify Ronaldo. It will be up to the Manchester United forward to break their stranglehold and make a mark in the game. He will be eager to add to his record tally of 115 goals from 185 games in the match.
Will the 37-year-old prevail or endure another frustrating night? The question will be answered at the Dragao on Tuesday.
