In Skopje, with North Macedonia pinned back for most of the evening, Lyon full-back Zachary Athekame supplied the deliveries that sent Switzerland to a commanding 3-0 Nations League B win on Saturday.
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Athekame, on loan at Lyon from AC Milan, created both goals in Zeki Amdouni’s second-half brace as Switzerland took control of their group.
There was little doubt about the direction of the match. Switzerland produced 21 attempts and North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski made six saves to prevent an even heavier result. The hosts struggled to create any meaningful threat.
Amdouni played a role in every Swiss goal. He headed the ball back for Remo Freuler to open the scoring in the 22nd minute, before becoming the match’s decisive finisher.
The Burnley forward doubled the advantage four minutes before half-time after Athekame’s cross found him unmarked in the penalty area. The Lyon defender then set up Amdouni again in the 74th minute, with the forward beating a Macedonian defender before applying the finish.
For Athekame, the two assists provided an encouraging international contribution during his loan spell with Lyon, while Amdouni’s two goals completed a performance in which Switzerland were never seriously troubled.
The next appointment in France
The result moves Switzerland to the top of their Nations League B group. Scotland and Slovenia drew 1-1 earlier on Saturday, leaving Switzerland ahead of both sides after the opening round.
