Football
San Marino Targeting First Competitive Win As They Face Side Ranked Just 11 Places Higher
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International minnows San Marino are targeting their first win in competitive football as they face Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday.
Rated 210th in the world according to FIFA’s latest official rankings, San Marino is a tiny enclave surrounded by northern Italy.
With a population of just 33,000 the country’s football team are yet to register a competitive win in their history.
But that may finally be about to change this week. San Marino’s first (and only) win of any kind was a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in a friendly in April 2004.
And now they are set to face off against the only side they’ve ever beaten, with the two meeting in the Nations League this week.
Liechtenstein themselves are ranked 199th by FIFA – just 11 places higher than San Marino.
San Marino’s First Win Ever
Now a full 20 years ago, San Marino’s first and only win came courtesy of a sublime strike from Andy Selva.
The forward leathered a free kick into the top corner from a full 25 yards out, netting a goal worthy of winning any game.
Rome-born Selva enjoyed a successful career in Italy, playing for the likes of Sassuolo, SPAL and Hellas Verona in a career that spanned more than 20 years.
He eventually retired in 2018 having scored 119 goals in 389 club appearances. Selva netted eight times in 74 games for San Marino.
The victory was San Marino’s first in more than 70 attempts, and they have not won since.
In that time, they are now 142 games and counting without a victory. The torrid run also included 59 consecutive defeats from 2004-2014.
Liechtenstein meanwhile have not won a game themselves since 2020. Their last win was a 2-1 triumph against Luxembourg in a friendly.
They have not won a competitive fixture since the last time they face San Marino, winning 2-0 in the Nations League in October of the same year.
With two of the lowest ranked sides in world football facing off against one-another, both sides will be eyeing a rare and historic win.
But for San Marino in particular, this game represents the opportunity of a lifetime.
Whatever the result, we just hope the game doesn’t finish 0-0.