Nicko Sensoli made history after his goal sealed San Marino’s first competitive win over Liechtenstein on a seismic Thursday night.
Sensoli capitalised on a moment of indecision in the visiting defence and seized on a hopeful pass from Giacomo Benvenuti inside the box to finish powerfully past a stranded Benjamin Buchel.
Unsurprisingly, Sensoli’s heroics (on his competitive debut, no less) sparked chaos in the stands, with many of the spectators probably never having seen their team taste victory before.
But that was nothing compared to what happened on the pitch. The 19-year-old national hero was mobbed by his teammates, who pounced on the striker, who could hardly believe what he had just done.
Sensoli’s previous experience in international football was in three friendly matches, all of them defeats by an aggregate score of 11-2.
San Marino claimed their first ever competitive win after Nicko Sensoli’s goal on Thursday (pictured March)
Sensoli took advantage of a moment of indecision in the Liechtenstein defence to seal history
San Marino’s only other victory in their entire history also came in a 1-0 win over Liechtenstein, with record goalscorer Andy Selva scoring the goal that night in 2004, marking a curious twist of fate between the two nations.
The final whistle sparked celebrations like San Marino had never seen, not even after that victory 20 years ago.
The stadium announcer burst into joy as the final whistle blew and could be heard shouting “San Marino – ONE! Liechtenstein – ZERO!” over the PA system as the players collapsed into the San Marino Stadium, the hopes of an entire nation finally fulfilled.
After Sensoli’s goal, the Titani had an understandably nervy final half hour of the match, although the hosts had their chances to make it 2-0.
Right winger Andrea Contadini’s energy and intensity in the closing stages of the game proved to be a thorn in the side of the Liechtenstein defence, and he broke free again in the 75th minute.
With plenty of space on the right, he reached the goalmouth, but instead of crossing the ball and leaving the goal open for Nicola Nanni, he went for glory but couldn’t beat Buchel at the near post.
San Marino’s growing nervousness was evident when Lorenzo Capicchioni conceded a corner under little pressure in the 77th minute.
As the game approached a historic climax, cameras panned the pitch and not a single home fan could be seen in their seats; instead, there was just one supporter standing nervously, some hopping from foot to foot, some biting their nails, all feeling every second of this momentous night of nights.
As the final 10 minutes approached, the telltale calls for the referee to blow the whistle began, but San Marino continued to press in search of a second goal; substitute Marcello Mularoni was denied by a speedy Buchel, before Samuele Zannoni went close again three minutes from time.
His goal sparked jubilation on the pitch and the teenager was mobbed by his teammates.
Sensoli’s goal ended one of the longest losing streaks in football history.
Perhaps the biggest celebration of all, however, was the one that greeted teenager Tomasso Benvenuti’s blistering run deep into added time to earn a free-kick inside the Liechtenstein half, before letting out a roar and pumping his fist as if he had scored the winner himself.
Despite the cramps and fatigue that were beginning to take their toll on the pitch, Roberto Cevoli’s team held on, but only after a final Liechtenstein free-kick inside the area in the 97th minute went wide, although it appeared to touch a Sammarinese player in the end.
But that didn’t matter as the whistle finally came seconds later and ended the longest streak of defeats in international football: San Marino claimed the competitive victory it had long craved.
The win leaves San Marino top of their Nations League group, with Gibraltar the third team in the group yet to play, although few would have expected them to top the group tonight.
While it is a landmark moment in the history of this microstate nation (roughly the size of Milton Keynes with a population of around 32,000), there has been a growing confidence behind the team.
Sensoli’s was San Marino’s sixth goal in nine games, which may seem like a meagre result to those of us used to Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and co making fun of most European foes on a regular basis.
But compared to the five they had scored in the previous 36, this marks a huge improvement in their form, and with a friendly trip to Moldova on Tuesday, Cevoli’s side will have renewed confidence behind them.
However, thinking about what lies ahead for San Marino is not a good idea on the night of their greatest achievement.
For now, the result will be greeted with the euphoria, jubilation and celebration it deserves. After all, this victory has been in the making for some time.