San Marino made history on Thursday night, winning a competitive international match for the first time in their history. Nicko Sensoli’s second-half goal was enough to give the minnows a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their Nations League Group D1 opener, sparking wild celebrations at the 7,000-capacity stadium.
The micronation had not won a match for 20 years prior to this long-awaited victory, defeating Liechtenstein by the same scoreline in a 2004 friendly. There had been some near misses, draws Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Seychelles over the last couple of years.
But San Marino fans have grown used to heavy defeats, often celebrating consolation goals like wins. Many had resigned themselves to the reality of never seeing a San Marino win, and certainly not one in a competitive match.
That has changed now and there is a feeling of renewed hope around the tiny country of 33,000 people. In a Nations League group with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar - who played out a 2-2 draw on Sunday - San Marino sit top and appear to have a genuine chance of staying there.
Winning a Nations League group would be a seismic achievement for Roberto Cevoli’s team, although it would mean moving up to League C where they would face far stronger opposition.
It would also move them a step closer to qualifying for a World Cup, though that is almost an impossibility at present. With such a small population and limited infrastructure, small victories and gradual progress are huge for San Marino.
“It means everything,” captain Alessandro Golinucci told the Daily Mail after the Liechtenstein win. “Everything I have always dreamed from the very first time I wore the jersey of my national team in the U17s. From then to now, it has been the ultimate target I’ve always aimed for in my football career. We managed to meet it and we’re really proud for this achievement!
“It feels like an ultimate and incredible emotion, a once-in-a-lifetime joy. These three points will always remain in historical records of our team. It is difficult to find words that can describe what we have felt and we are still feeling after the final whistle.”
San Marino will now be hopeful that the wait for their next win is much shorter than 20 years.
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