SAN MARINO have been hailed as “forever legends” after a sensational first win since 2004 – only their second victory ever.
And amazingly the whipping boys of international football have made it a double against the SAME TEAM – after a winless gap of 140 matches.
The Sammarinese beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the Nations League – the same result as 20 years ago in a friendly – to send fans wild on social media.
And of course this means it is their first ever win in a competitive fixture.
The 53rd-minute hero this time was a 19-year-old midfielder on loan in the Italian fourth tier.
Parent team San Marino Academy let Nicko Sensoli join Sangiuliano to gain first-team experience.
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Now Sensoli has made a spectacular piece of history in front of home fans – with his first international goal just six months after his debut
The “San Marino fan account” changed its profile to start: “IT HAPPENED.”
That was followed by joyous separate posts of: “Changed bio” and “Top of the league” – as the nation head Gibraltar and Liechtenstein after the League D Group 1 opener.
One supporter responded: “They wrote history. They will be remembered forever as legends, as the golden generation of Sammarinese football.”
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Another added: “San Marino won. That’s the tweet” while a third asked: “Am I dreaming?”
Incredibly, Sensoli’s winning goal was the second exciting development of the week for San Marino…
They left their long-held spot at the bottom of the global rankings – albeit only technically and for an odd reason.
THE SAMMARINESE ‘IMMORTAL’S
Here’s how Roberto Cevoli’s men lined up against Liechtenstein on what has instantly become the most famous night in their footballing history.
SAN MARINO LINE-UP
12 Tosi (Benvenuti 71m)
6 Rossi (booked 96m)
5 Cevoli (booked 51m)
4 Benvenuti
23 Casadei
10 Capicchioni (Mularoni 81m)
17 Golinucci (Battistini 62m, booked 87m)
20 Sensoli (Zannoni 62m)
9 Nanni (Giacopetti 71m)
11 Contadini
MATCH STATS:
Shots – Sam Marino 8, Liechtenstein 8.
Shots on target – San Marino 2, Liechtenstein 0
Corners – San Marino 1 Liechtenstein 2
It’s because Eritrea are now unranked – as the East African nation have not played for four years.
That still leaves San Marino 210th and lowest-placed of the teams with a rating.
But perhaps it was the psychological boost of not being under everyone else that helped inspire the Sammarinese to sink 199th-ranked Liechtenstein.
England walloped San Marino 10-0 in a World Cup qualifier back in November 2021.
But recent improvement has included a 3-1 defeat to Denmark.
And San Marino drew with Caribbean side Saint Kitts and Nevis in March.
Now that’s been eclipsed by surely the greatest evening in their 37 years of playing international football – a competitive triumph.
Ecstatic fans were awed by the achievement.
One posted: “Nicko Sensoli wasn’t even born when San Marino won their first match in 2004. Insane.”
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SAN MARINO’S ALL-TIME RECORD
San Marino have been playing international football with little but defeats since opening with a 1-0 loss against Lebanon in 1987.
But their first official Fifa-sanctioned contest was a 4-0 reverse at home to Switzerland in a European Championships qualifier in November 1990.
Here’s how their record stacks up over 37 years – with plenty of troughs before Thursday night’s glorious peak.
Played – 211
Won – 2
Drawn – 10
Lost – 199
Goals scored – 34
Goals conceded – 845
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
