Switzerland defeat North Macedonia 3-0 in Nations League opener with Amdouni brace

Dominant first half in Skopje

Switzerland opened their UEFA Nations League B campaign with a 3-0 victory against North Macedonia in Skopje. Murat Yakin's side controlled the tempo from kickoff, registering 17 attempts on goal during the first 45 minutes compared to just one for the hosts. Dan Ndoye initiated the opening attack in the second minute and later set up the first goal in the 22nd minute with a high cross into the penalty area. Zeki Amdouni headed the delivery down into the path of Remo Freuler, who opened the scoring with a low first-time strike past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. Ndoye struck the post five minutes later, and Dimitrievski denied Johan Manzambi before Amdouni doubled the advantage in the 41st minute by meeting a cross from debutant Zachary Athekame.

Young debutants step up

The Swiss national team arrived in Skopje without regular captain Granit Xhaka and forward Breel Embolo, who both missed the international gathering due to personal matters. Their absence, combined with earlier international retirements, opened starting spots and bench places for several new players. Right back Zachary Athekame made his senior international debut from the start, delivering two assists across 90 minutes. In midfield, 24-year-old Ardon Jashari earned his 12th cap by stepping into the holding midfield role alongside Freuler. Substitutes Sascha Britschgi and Winsley Boteli made their senior debuts in the 63rd and 86th minutes, while Alvyn Sanches also joined the squad for his competitive international premiere.

Athekame described his feelings after marking his international debut with two assists and a clean sheet.

I feel a lot of pride for my first cap. And on top of that we won. I am happy with our performance. I stayed calm, I felt confident. It was a goal for me since childhood to be part of this team.

Amdouni leads the attack

Amdouni wore the number 10 jersey in Xhaka's absence and participated directly in all three goals for the visitors. After assisting Freuler's opener and converting Athekame's delivery before the interval, the Burnley forward added his second goal in the 74th minute. Athekame found Amdouni on the edge of the penalty box, where the 25-year-old forward moved past a North Macedonian defender with a feint and scored with his left foot. The two goals brought Amdouni's international tally to 13 goals in 34 senior appearances for Switzerland. Boteli replaced Amdouni in the 86th minute, closing out a fixture in which Switzerland maintained defensive control throughout the second period.

Amdouni pointed to the broader objective for the squad in the competition following the final whistle.

Scoring twice feels extremely good. We deserve to be in Nations League A and we will do everything to finish first in this group.

Group 1 standings and upcoming fixtures

The victory placed Switzerland at the top of Group 1 in UEFA Nations League B with three points from their opening fixture. North Macedonia struggled to create scoring chances after falling behind, managing only a single first-half shot against the Swiss defensive line. A 49th-minute incident saw German referee Alexander Schlager show a red card to North Macedonia's Matej Gashtarov for a foul on Manzambi before revising the decision to a yellow card. Switzerland travel next to Glasgow to face Scotland on Tuesday evening, while North Macedonia will play away against Slovenia.