WAIT GOES ON FOR SAN MARINO WIN
“Winning a match would represent a dream come true,” Roberto Cevoli told World Soccer ahead of San Marino’s clash with St Kitts & Nevis, the first of two friendlies between the two nations. The 55-year-old replaced Fabrizio Costantini as San Marino’s head coach at the end of 2023, and has overseen enough improvement to allow the team to dream of ending the longest winless run in international football history, which spans two decades. “Winning just one game in our entire history speaks volumes. If we were able to repeat this feat then it would mean ultimate satisfaction for the nation as a whole.”
Between their solitary victory in 2004 and these March friendlies – a run of 136 games – San Marino had conceded 552 goals and scored just 20. Their quest for an end to the streak has led to them seeking out non-UEFA opponents in recent years – in late 2022, they hosted Seychelles before travelling to St Lucia for two matches – to no avail. Yet their previous three games, which saw them get on the scoresheet in defeats to Kazakhstan (1-3), Finland (1-2) and Denmark (1-2), offered hope.
It took just 21 minutes to extend their scoring streak to four matches, as forward Filippo Berardi dispatched a penalty with venom. But leading isn’t something that comes easy to the lowest-ranked side in the world, and their reluctance to press forward allowed St Kitts & Nevis to take charge. After a couple of lapses in the San Marino defence, the visitors scored twice to lead 2-1 at half-time. The hosts fared little better in the second half, eventually losing 3-1. “It’s the hope that can kill you,” remarked a member of the fan group
Mai 1Gioia (Never Any Joy Brigade).
Ahead of the rematch four days later, Matteo Vitaioli, San Marino’s captain, remained positive. “Approaching games like these – where people are expecting a potential result – it is fundamental that the most experienced players keep the morale high, and focus mainly on the performance,” he said.
In the second match, the forward had to wait until the 94th minute to come on for his 93rd cap, a typical situation for the 34-year-old who generally enjoys cameo roles these days. His experience was required in the dying seconds as the team held on for a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with the Caribbean visitors – only the tenth time in San Marino’s history they have avoided defeat. Despite dominating for large periods, their inability to finish chances cost them.
“We’ve drawn several games recently, but now we aim to raise the bar even higher and seek that win,” admits Vitaioli.
The next chance for that elusive victory will come in friendlies against Slovakia and Cyprus this summer, before a new UEFA Nations League campaign begins in September against Liechtenstein – a team ranked 203rd in the FIFA rankings, just seven places above San Marino, and the nation whom San Marino claim their sole win over. Belief is high that 2024 can still be the year where they finally break their hoodoo.
“The only thing I didn’t like was not scoring a goal,” concluded Cevoli after the dust had settled on the second fixture – emphasising the stark increase in expectation over the past12 months. “It’s a bittersweet feeling. We had the opportunities in the first half, but we played a positive game against a physical team and we didn’t give away the result. This proves to me that the future is bright.”