CHC TIKVESH – HC ALKALOID 23-30 (11-12)

Venue: Jasmin in Kavadarci. Referees: Gligor Kjaev and Spasko Kjaev. Delegate: Vasil Chavdarov.
CHC TIKVESH: Panov, Jovevski 2, Stojanovski 6, Cejovic 4, Lazoroski, Velkov, Pecuruca, Dimovski, Lazov 2, Gjorgiev, Kocev 2, Simic 1, Angelov, Mijuskovic 6, Bakev
Seven-meter throws: 5/7 Suspensions: 4 min.

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj, Djonov 4, Þordarsson 6, Markoski, Karasmanakis 1, Gjorgiev 4, Velkovski 2, Simonovski 1, Ivanovski, Kosteski 1, Petkovski 2, Borzas 7, Alarov, Gjorgovski 2
Seven-meter throws: 2/4 Suspensions: 2 min.

HC Alkaloid claimed an away victory in Kavadarci, defeating CHC Tikvesh in the final Super League match before the break for the national team’s World Championship 2027 qualification playoffs. With just two rounds remaining in the domestic campaign, the approaching end of the season is increasingly reflected in the rhythm and intensity of the league fixtures.

The hosts entered the contest highly motivated and enjoyed a slight edge during the opening 10 minutes against HC Alkaloid. However, HC Alkaloid quickly settled into the match and took control, building a three-goal advantage at 11-8 by the 21st minute. Although the halftime lead stood at only one goal (12-11), HC Alkaloid showed far greater quality and composure after the break.

Following a relatively balanced start to the second half, HC Alkaloid gradually increased the tempo and began to pull away from the opponent. By the 40th minute, the visitors had extended the lead to 20-16, before eventually securing a convincing 30-23 victory. Uros Borzas finished as the game’s top scorer with seven goals, while Þordarsson added six. Goalkeeper Gjorgji Nikolovski was also given an opportunity between the posts and contributed with nine saves.

HC ALKALOID – CHC OHRID 26-27 (12-17)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Silvana Karbeska and Marija Ilieva. Delegates: Marjan Nachevski and Leri Mirchevski.
HC ALKALOID: Kizikj, Galevski, Djonov 1, Þordarsson 3, Markoski 1, Karasmanakis, Stojkovic 3, M. Mitev 1, Gjorgiev 2, Velkovski 2, Nenad Kosteski 4, Petkovski, D. Mitev 5, Borzas 4, Alarov, Nikolov
Seven-meter throws: 3/3 Suspensions: 4 min.

CHC OHRID: Pilipovic, Blazheski, Ojleski 2, Jagurinoski 2, Ivankovic 4, Kukulovski 2, Yasuhira 7, Risteski, Taseski 1, Morales, Savrevski 1, Liapis 1, Bojanic, Djukic 3, Kjosevski 2, Pribetic 2
Seven-meter throws: 3/3 Suspensions: 6 min.

In a highly anticipated Macedonian Super League derby, HC Alkaloid welcomed CHC Ohrid to Skopje.

The encounter brought together the reigning EHF Cup champions, HC Alkaloid, and the current EHF Cup finalists, CHC Ohrid. Ahead of the opening whistle, HC Alkaloid congratulated the Ohrid squad on their qualification for the EHF Cup final and wished them success in the decisive match.

CHC Ohrid emerged with a narrow victory in a match that also saw the return of Macedonian internationals Marko Mitev and Igor Gjorgiev to the HC Alkaloid lineup after several weeks out through injury. Both players featured with limited minutes and responded well physically during their time on the court.

HC Alkaloid opened the game strongly and built an early three-goal lead at 7-4, but missed the opportunity to extend the advantage further. This shifted the momentum in favour of the visitors, who gradually completed the turnaround before halftime and capitalized on HC Alkaloid’s mistakes to take a 17-12 lead into the break.

The home side looked more composed and determined in the second half, quickly reducing the deficit by two goals and creating several chances to close the gap even further. Technical errors and missed opportunities in key moments, however, repeatedly prevented HC Alkaloid from mounting a complete comeback.

In the closing minutes, HC Alkaloid managed to cut the deficit to just one goal, but there was not enough time left to force a dramatic finish. The visitors kept possession in the final seconds and ultimately secured the points.

HC VARDAR 1961 – HC ALKALOID 30-27 (17-14)

Venue: Jane Sandanski in Skopje. Referees: Nenad Nikolovski and Ismail Metalari from Skopje. Delegates: Dushko Kamishevski and Marjan Ognjanovski.
HC VARDAR 1961: Walach (14 saves), Bogdanovski, Gogov, Stojanovski 3, Vorkapic 5, Bono, Georgievski 1, Mitrovic 3, Tankoski, Lazarevski 1, Marciniak, Tuzolana 2, Atanasovski, Silva 4, Malus 8, Jankovski 3

Seven-meter throws: 2/4 Suspensions: 6 min.
HC ALKALOID: Kizikj (3 saves), Galevski (6 saves), Djonov 1, Þordarsson 2, Markoski, Karasmanakis 2, Stojkovic 1, Velkovski 1, Ivanovski, Kosteski 6, Petkovski 2, D. Mitev 2, Borzas 3, Alarov 2, Nikolov 3, Gjorgovski 2
Seven-meter throws: 2/4 Suspensions: 6 min.

HC Alkaloid came up short in the Round 28 Super League derby against HC Vardar 1961, as the hosts secured a 30-27 win in a match played as part of the celebrations marking Vardar’s 65th anniversary. Despite the occasion, the encounter unfolded without major tension or high intensity.

HC Alkaloid looked sharper during the opening 10 minutes and enjoyed a slight advantage early on. HC Vardar soon responded by levelling the score and edging in front, after which the game settled into a steady rhythm with a two-to-three-goal margin separating the sides.

During the closing stages of the first half, HC Alkaloid cut the deficit to just one goal (14-15), but a momentary lapse in concentration before the break allowed the home side to extend the lead to 17-14 at halftime.

One of the standout moments for HC Alkaloid was the return of pivot Valentin Karasmanakis, who made his first appearance after nearly five months on the sidelines recovering from a hand injury.

The flow of the match remained largely unchanged in the second half. HC Vardar managed to build a five-goal advantage and maintain it up to the final 10 minutes. HC Alkaloid reduced the gap to three goals and created several opportunities to make the finish more dramatic, but inefficiency in attack prevented a stronger comeback push. The contest ultimately concluded with a 30-27 result. In the next round, HC Alkaloid will welcome CHC Ohrid on home court.

HC Alkaloid has swapped its club base in Avtokomanda for Mavrovo, where the team enjoys the peace and top-notch conditions to go through the second phase of the preseason, focused on building physical form. Petar Basnarkov, assistant to head coach Kiril Lazarov, is in charge of getting the squad into top physical shape.

Basnarkov has been part of the club since the very start and has helped create the team’s training principles and system. A structure that is now fully embraced by the players, who have adapted to every element of it, making preparations smoother for both the players and the coaching staff.

Basnarkov says he is pleased with how the preseason is going so far.

On how preseason is progressing…

“The players, especially the ones who have been around longer, already know the principles. This is my fifth season with the club, and they are familiar with my style of work, just like I’m familiar with their performance levels.

Basically, we work throughout the summer. The players get about ten days off, and then we kick things off with what’s known as the off-season, a concept more common in basketball. That way, by the time official preseason starts, we are already 70–80% ready.

This is key because it shortens the time we need to build physical readiness and gives head coach Kiril Lazarov more time to focus on tactics. That is especially important this season since we have important matches coming up early. So, from day one, the players are already able to train with the ball.”

On how the players are looking so far…

“Honestly, I’m happy with where we’re at. Every year we keep getting better. The players clearly worked during the off-season, they came in ready. The same goes for the new team members. They have clearly put in work too. There are some minor things to iron out, old habits, automatic movements, but that’s normal. We are fully committed, every single day counts, and overall, I’m happy with how things are going. Marko Mitev and Nikola Kosteski are currently training separately with the physiotherapist, but they will rejoin the team sessions next week,” says Basnarkov.

HC Alkaloid has kicked off its preseason for the new campaign. The squad is getting into rhythm at their base in Avtokomanda, with eight new signings joining the team. Head coach Kiril Lazarov shared his impressions of the current roster and his expectations for the upcoming season.

“The whole strategy and direction of the club is to move forward year by year,” said Lazarov.

“We don’t want to take giant leaps–we want steady progress, building and developing the club gradually. As a coach, I’m happy and proud that we have stayed true to the Macedonian model again this season. Our roster will include 23 players–21 of them homegrown. We decided to stay the course, continue giving chances to Macedonian players, and aim to be more competitive both in the domestic league and on the European stage. I’m pleased we managed to bring in some fresh faces during the transfer window–eight new players in total. We’ll need some time to build chemistry, which is why we started a bit earlier than the rest of the Super League teams.”

The EHF European League qualifiers also play a role in that early start. We’ll work on integrating the new players into the system we are constantly upgrading. I’m feeling positive, motivated–and I believe as time goes on, we’ll keep taking steps forward. Uros Borzas knows Macedonia well–he’s a seasoned professional with international experience, and he will definitely add value to our setup. On the other hand, Ulfar Monsi comes from the Scandinavian school, has EHF European League experience, and even though he is still young, I’m confident he will slot into our system nicely, especially in fast transitions.”

– The preseason plan…

“We will spend the first week in Skopje, then we head to Mavrovo for altitude training. After that, we are back in Skopje, and then we hit the road on a tour through Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, where we have lined up eight friendly matches.”

– Analysis of the Macedonian Championship…

“The Macedonian Championship is tricky and tough to play in, and you really have to know how to approach it. I did a lot of analysis over the summer, running comparisons, and what stood out was that in a European semifinal we are putting up over 40 goals, but in the domestic league we can barely crack 25, and this was my biggest dilemma.

Where is the gap, and how do we fix that–especially when it comes to our domestic performance. Europe should be our benchmark. We need to align with the pace and style of the clubs competing in European cups if we want to keep moving forward–on both the club and national team level. That applies to all categories, not just seniors, and to both men’s and women’s handball.”

This season, we will have four top-tier teams in the Macedonian league–but I wouldn’t underestimate the rest either. I’ve got respect for every team. For us as a club, the stronger the league, the better. The pressure and rivalry will only help us grow. Hopefully, one day it won’t be just four teams–but eight, all competing for trophies. That would be a big boost for Macedonian talent. With the current format, every match feels like a final.”

– On the EHF European League qualifiers and TSV Hannover-Burgdorf…

“As a club, we made the decision to step out of our comfort zone and enter the European League, after winning the EHF Cup–which already had some tough opponents. That is even more evident this season when you look at the list. We wanted to push ourselves, and that means taking on risk. The draw wasn’t exactly kind – we got a Bundesliga team. After the draw, I watched several of their matches and saw why they were top of the Bundesliga table for most of the season. They’ve got a structured system, a top-class coach–a former Germany national team head coach–with a clear answer for every tactical scenario.

They are definitely the favorites, but we are not going down without a fight.”

The reigning EHF European Cup champions, HC Alkaloid, officially launched their preparations for the upcoming season with a first team gathering earlier today. The players and coaching staff were addressed by Mr. Zhivko Mukaetov, CEO and President of the Management Board of ALKALOID AD Skopje, who wished the squad a successful and victorious season ahead.

Head coach Kiril Lazarov will count on a 23-man roster for the new campaign. All players reported for duty at the opening meeting, including Marko Mitev and Nikola Kosteski, who are currently undergoing rehabilitation and will train under a tailored program. Both are expected to rejoin full team activities during the autumn half of the season.

Alkaloid’s preseason will be divided into three phases. The first leg of preparations will be held in Skopje. Next Monday, the team heads to Mavrovo for a ten-day training camp to complete the second phase. Wrapping things up, Alkaloid will go on a mini-tour through Serbia and Croatia, playing eight friendlies against teams from Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia.

The official season opener for HC Alkaloid is set for August 31 with a away fixture against Bundesliga outfit TSV Hannover-Burgdorf. The return leg and Alkaloid’s first European home game will take place in Skopje seven days later.