First Kometal defeat in 17 years

Several key players left the number one club of FYR Macedonia Kometal GP for financial reasons. As a result, the invincible Kometal lost on home court after 17 years in the domestic championship.

The former CL winner lost in Kicevo by 27-28, which is the end of a very long supremacy.

This was the first defeat ever for Kometal in the Macedonian league and it was the second game lost to a local team in the history of the club.

The only time Kometal were beaten was a Macedonian Cup semi-final in 1994 against Vardar Srem. Since then, Kometal have beaten every team at every game and the only challenge for the team was the Champions League.

Changes in the team

The problems began in September when the main sponsor, Trifun Kostovski, announced that he would leave the club and the Handball Federation of the country.

Several top players have left the club this year, including the Brazilian Ana and Eduarda Amorim, Jelena Popovic, Julija Portjanko, while goalkeeper Trenoska is pregnant.

The club continues to play with young players and several experienced handballers, such as Pecevska, Kresoja, Bajramovska, Ilkova, Mladenovska and Gjorgjievska.

Pecevska, Mladenovska and Ilkova were injured and could not play this game. Bajramovska scored 11 goals, but it was not enough to avoid defeat.

This could be the start of a new and different period for the former CL winner and two-times CL runner-up team.