Lithuania played to a 0–0 draw against Suriname in an international friendly at the Darius and Girėno Stadium on Thursday, Delfi reported.
The fixture marked the debut of Mindaugas Čepas as head coach of the Lithuanian national team, according to LRT.
Čepas took over the position from Edgaras Jankauskas, who had led the squad since 2023, LRT reported.
The match brought together Lithuania, ranked 148th in the FIFA global rankings, and Suriname, representing the CONCACAF confederation from the smallest South American nation with a population of over millions and a FIFA ranking of 128th, 15min.lt reported. It was the first encounter for the Lithuanians against representatives of the CONCACAF confederation, 15min.lt reported.
The Match Ended in a 0–0 Draw
- Match Outcome: The international friendly fixture concluded with a 0–0 scoreline after neither team converted their scoring chances.
Lithuania Registered Early Chances Through Headers and Fast Attacks
The encounter began with balanced possession, and Lithuania registered the first notable opportunity in the ninth minute when Pijus Širvys headed a ball over the crossbar from inside the penalty area, as reported by LRT.
Ten minutes later, Gvidas Gineitis passed to Eligijus Jankauskas in a fast attack, and he sent the ball to Armandas Kučys, but the latter failed to receive the pass, according to LRT.
In the 25th minute, Artūras Dolžnikovas passed the ball to Kučys, who found Paulius Golubickas in the penalty area, though the midfielder’s shot hit an opponent and did not become a danger to the Suriname team, LRT reported.
Suriname held a slight edge in possession during the opening 45 minutes with 53 percent to Lithuania’s 47 percent, according to LRT.
Lietuvos futbolo federacija reported that Širvys expressed readiness prior to the match following recovery from an early departure during the previous training camp.
“Dabar jau jaučiuosi puikiai, dedu daug priežiūros į savo kūną. Kai sustiprinu visus raumenis, jaučiuosi tikrai gerai. Nors reikia pastovios priežiūros, bet šiuo metu jaučiuosi puikiai ir tikiuosi, kad galėsiu padėti komandai,” Pijus Širvys told Lietuvos futbolo federacija.
Širvys also noted his prior professional history working alongside Čepas at Utenos Utenis and Kauno Žalgiris, according to Lietuvos futbolo federacija.
“Galbūt pavadinimas skamba egzotiškai, bet tikrai yra labai gera komanda, žaidėjai žaidžia geruose čempionatuose, beveik visi žaidėjai žaidžia Europoje,” Širvys told Lietuvos futbolo federacija regarding the opposing squad.
Lithuania Outshot Suriname During the Second Half
Lietuania created additional scoring opportunities in the second half, including a powerful strike by Domantas Šluta in the 64th minute and a missed header by Gratas Sirgėdas following a cross from Motiejus Burba in the 81st minute, LRT reported.
15min.lt said that Lithuania outshot Suriname 12 to 6, hit the target 6 times against 5 for Suriname, and earned 5 corner kicks to 4, while committing more yellow-card fouls at 4 to 2.
LRT reported that Arnas Voitinovičius, Vincentas Šarkauskas, and Nikita Pavlovskij made their debut appearances wearing the Lithuanian national team uniform during the fixture.
| Match Metric | Lithuania | Suriname |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 47 proc. | 53 proc. |
| Total Shots | 12 | 6 |
| Shots on Target | 6 | 5 |
| Corner Kicks | 5 | 4 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 | 2 |
Upcoming UEFA Nations League Fixture
Lithuania will conclude its UEFA Nations League D division campaign on Monday, November 16, by hosting Liechtenstein at the Darius and Girėno Stadium, according to LRT.
15min.lt reported that after three matches in the group, Lithuania sits in second place with 4 points behind Azerbaijan with 5 points, while Liechtenstein holds 1 point.
The match against Liechtenstein will mark the final fixture of the calendar year for the Lithuanian national team, as reported by Lietuvos futbolo federacija.
References
- Delfi: Naują istorijos puslapį atvertusi Lietuvos futbolo rinktinė neįveikė Surinamo
- LRT: Čepo debiutas Lietuvos futbolo rinktinėje pažymėtas lygiosiomis su Surinamu
- Širvys pasitinka vakaro kovą: „Jaučiuosi puikiai ir esu pasiruošęs padėti komandai“
- 15min.lt: Egzotiškas išbandymas lapkričio žvarboje: Lietuva – Surinamas
