RFS futbolisti iekļūst UEFA Konferences līgas kvalifikācijas otrajā kārtā

RFS secured a 2-0 victory against Northern Ireland’s Glentoran on Thursday, advancing to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League with a 4-1 aggregate win. Meanwhile, Liepāja also progressed by defeating Montenegro’s Dečič 3-1 on aggregate, setting up a second-round clash with Austria Wien. For Glentoran, the loss marks the end of their European campaign, despite the club having more than 60 years of experience competing in European club tournaments. Eighteen years ago, in the UEFA Cup—now the UEFA Europa League—the Northern Irish side had previously faced a Latvian opponent in the qualifying round, losing to Liepājas metalurgs.

RFS Eliminates Glentoran from the UEFA Conference League

RFS Progresses After Dominant Home Win

Latvian Virslīga leaders RFS advanced to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League on Thursday by defeating Belfast-based Glentoran 2-0 at home. The win concluded the two-leg series with a decisive 4-1 aggregate score in favor of the Riga club. In the first leg held in Belfast, RFS had previously secured a 2-1 victory, fueled by two goals from Mārtiņš Ķigurs. In that away match, Ķigurs entered the field in the 32nd minute to replace the injured Ismaels Diomandē before scoring in the 45th and 70th minutes.

Modou Saidy and Jānis Ikaunieks Secure RFS Goals

The scoring in the second leg opened early in the fifth minute. Following a solo run down the left flank by Rostand Ndjiki and a subsequent pass back to the center of the penalty area, Lasha Odisharia took the initial shot. The ball rebounded in front of the goal to Modou Saidy, who tapped it into the right corner of the net. The visitors were forced to make a personnel change as early as the 11th minute, replacing the injured defender Daniel Larmour with Marcus Kane. RFS extended their lead in the 61st minute after a defensive error by the visitors. Ndjiki intercepted the ball in midfield, dribbled down the right wing into the penalty area, and delivered a pass to Jānis Ikaunieks, who rolled the ball into the empty net.

Liepāja Advances to Meet Austria Wien

In a separate qualifying match, Liepāja confirmed its spot in the second round by defeating Tuzi Dečič 2-1 on the road in the return leg. The Liepāja team was superior with a 3-1 aggregate score. The home side took the lead after approximately 12 minutes when Davor Kontic scored with a powerful long-distance shot. During stoppage time, Kivon Leidsman concluded a Liepāja attack with a precise, close-range finish following a pass from Bart Straalman. In the second half, after approximately 15 minutes of play, Felipe Cardozo put Liepāja in the lead, and the team successfully defended their advantage for the remainder of the match. In the first leg in Liepāja, the hosts had won 1-0 despite playing with a numerical disadvantage.

Liepāja Prepares for Austria Wien and Auda Faces FCSB

Liepāja, currently in fourth place in the Latvian Virslīga after slightly more than half the season, now faces a challenging second-round fixture against the Austrian side Austria Wien. Their opponent, Dečič, entered the tournament as the 2024 Montenegrin champion and a cup finalist, marking their fifth appearance in European club tournaments in the last six seasons.

Tournament Structure and Other Results

The path forward for the Latvian representatives remains rigorous. To reach the UEFA Conference League group stage, teams must overcome three qualifying rounds and a play-off round. In the second qualifying round, RFS is set to face the loser of the UEFA Europa League qualifying duel between Qarabag (Azerbaijan) and Vestri (Iceland). Meanwhile, the Latvian Cup winner, Auda, is scheduled to enter the tournament directly in the second round, where they will face the Romanian club FCSB.

Elsewhere in European qualifiers, the Dublin-based Bohemians, featuring Latvian midfielder Markuss Strods, played to a 0-0 draw away against Gibraltar’s St. Joseph’s, winning the two-match series 2-0. During that match, Strods entered the game as a substitute in the 60th minute, and in the 65th minute, the hosts were reduced to ten men after a red card was issued to Francis.

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