March 25, 26 & 27, 2022
The Belarus Women’s Premier League season has started, but without much of a fanfare, and two rounds of fixtures have already been completed.
The most disappointing news prior to the start of the season was the announcement of the disbandment of Neman Grodno’s side, who finished 4th in 2021, and were the only side to take a point off Dinamo BGU Minsk in 2020. Presumably part of this outcome revolved around star player/coach Ekaterina Dudko’s decision to move to Dinamo BGU Minsk to persue aspirations to earn a first cap for the national side at the age of 30, and in the wake of Neman’s closure, their players have been spread far and wide amongst the other sides in the league.
In addition to Dudko, Dinamo have signed international goal-keeper Ekaterina Kovalchuk and midfielder Daria Tatarin.
Movements of other members of the Neman squad include talented youngsters Karolina Zhitko & Viktoria Belmach joining Dnepr Mogilev, veteran ex international playmaker Tatiana Loginova re-joined Bobruichanka, and Ukrainian forward Polina Dolmatova joined Russian side Rubak Kazan. The whereabouts of Cameroonian wing-back Moussa Zouwairatou and Burkinabe winger Juliette Nana are currently unknown.
Despite a series of lop-sides-sided mis-matches last season, the Belarus FA have decided to maintain a 10 team Premier League, and Smorgon have replaced Neman. Several of Neman’s squad have joined Smorgon, including Konda, Bartoshevich, Khartitonchik and Kachan. Zorka’s veteran playmaker Liana Miarshnichenko, who has been regularly towards the top of the league scoring charts, has also signed for Smorgon, which at least gives some comfort they will not be the “whipping boys” like Gomel and Dinamo Brest last season.
Despite the signing of three players from Neman, the Dinamo squad for this season looked on paper to be weaker that the one won that won all 27 matches in 2021, and achieved 26 wins and one draw in 2020. International striker Karina Alkhovik has joined Italian Serie B side Chievo Verona and three other players had signed for arch-rivals FK Minsk, namely international regulars Anastasia Novikova & Viktoria Kazakevich, and fringe goal-keeper Elizaveta Sevko. On the positive side, international midfielder Anastasia Shuppo had reportedly re-signed after a season at Zenit St Petersburg, but is still to make an appearance.
After their financial problems at the end of 2020 that lead to the departure of just about their entire squad, FK Minsk appear to be gradually strengthening. Whilst still being built around some of the key under 19 talents from 2020, in particular the outstanding 18 year-old Anastasia Pobegaylo, already a regular Belarus international, they have gradually been rebuilding, and in addition to the three important signings from Dinamo, they have also added 19 year old Miroslava Zhbko from Zorka, and Kenyan striker Wafula Nekesa. International keeper Marina Svidunovich has also joined from Dnepr. In the debit column, they have lost ex ABFF U19 striker Tatiana Shereshovets to Zorka-BGU, and 18 year old international Anna Sas has joined German Bundesliga side Jena.
Zorka BGU finished a distant third in 2021 but were capable of some outstanding performances on their day. The activity around their squad looks mixed, having lost Zhbko to Minsk, Bololyanova to ABFF U19 ( despite being 22 ! ) and Scherbo to Dnepr. On the other hand, they have signed one of the best teenagers in Belarus, namely Yana Artishevskaya from Dnepr, as well as Viktoria Plisyuk from Dnepr and Shereshovets from Minsk. Also adding to their ranks is experienced defender Otuwe Gift from Bobruichanka and striker Yana Ray, who represented ABFF U19 and Vitebsk in 2021.
On paper, last season fifth placed Dnepr Mogilev look to be weaker this season, having lost 5 top players, with goal-scoring full-back Lyubov Gudchenko joining Russian side Zvezda Perm, Artishevskaya and Plisyuk joining Zorka, stylish young defender Arina Sitnikova joining Dinamo and first choice keeper Svidunovich joining Minsk. In their place, as mentioned above Zhitko and Belmach have signed from Neman, Scherbo joined from Zorka, and ABFF U19 keeper Maria Tolstyma has also been added to the squad.
ABFF U19 looked to have retained nearly all of last season’s squad, and so another season’s experience under their belts could prove beneficial, whilst Vitebsk didn’t appear to have any significant changes to their squad, so could also be expected to improve after their first season in the WPL.
However, Gomel and Dinamo Brest look to be as weak as last season, and so can be expected to be the back-markers again, and on the receiving end of some heavy defeats.
Dinamo and Minsk have already met twice this season, starting with the traditional Super Cup pre-season opener at the FK Minsk stadium. Dinamo took a 6th minute lead when veteran Anna Pilipenko intercepted a poor pass out from Minsk keeper Sevko to roll the ball into the empty net. Dinamo doubled their lead in the 26th minute when a flowing first touch move cut open the Minsk defence to leave Markushevskaya a simple side-footed finish. Minsk set-up a potential tense finale when Pobegaylo’s surging run down the right and pin-point cross gave Nekesa an open goal from 6 yards, but Minsk were unable to create any serious chances and Dinamo held on to claim the Super Cup.
The two sides met again in round 2 in the league, after both had recorded emphatic victories in the opening round, at Dinamo’s Yuni stadium in front of a crowd of 150. This time it was Minsk’s turn to take an early lead, with Nekesa capitalizing on an awful mis-kick by South African centre-back Ramalepe to send a chip over the keeper. It wasn’t looking good for Dinamo when Slesarchik and Nikolaenko both had to leave the field with injuries in the opening 30 minutes, and Minsk were dominating the game. However, after being on the pitch for less than a minute, Viktoria Valyuk levelled the scores with a deft header from Linnik’s cross, wrong-footing keeper Svidunovich.
Dinamo then looked the better side and took the lead with 15 minutes to go, when Markushevskaya’s shot from the angle of the penalty area crept into the far corner, although to use the cliché “Svidunovich would have been disappointed to have let that one in”. Dinamo looked to have sealed victory 10 minutes from time when Linnik’s cross took a deflection off Novikova to beat the keeper at the near post, and although Surovtseva pulled one back in added on time with a delicate finish, it was merely a consolation.
Despite Dinamo having come out on top in the two encounters, the margins were narrow and Minsk will probably at the same time be both disappointed and encouraged by how close they have been, and will feel Dinamo are beatable.
Zorka led the table on goal difference after 2 matches. After an opening 9-0 win over Gomel they left it late to overcome Bobruichanka. After being frustrated for over 80 minutes, they finally took the lead from an outstanding finish by Ray, after a weaving run had taken her past 4 defenders before shooting left footed from 20 yards across the goal into the far corner. Kiyanka added a second a minute from time from a couple feet after a defender and the keeper had fallen over trying to prevent the ball from reaching her.
Joining Zorka and Dinamo with a 100% record were ABFF U19, who followed up a 4-1 home win over Bobruichanka with a 3-0 victory in the dome at Dnepr Mogilev. Nestyukovich reacted the quickest to tap home after Pashkovskaya’s effort rebounded back of the bar after which Bololyanova doubled their lead with a close range snap-shot after Dnepr keeper Korbut had fumbled a cross.
For Dnepr, Kapustina came close on three occasions, striking the bar from long range in the first half, and twice putting left footed shots across the face of the goal but a fraction wide of the post. ABFF U19 put the game beyond their reach with just under 10 minutes left as the lively Evzrezova robbed a dozing defender to run clear and score.
Smorgon began their campaign with a respectable 0-2 loss at Dnepr, falling to two late goals, but opened their account by outclassing Dinamo Brest 6-0 at home. Liana Miarshnichenko grabbed their first two goals, whilst Valeria Khartitonchik also claimed a brace. It was 5-0 at half-time, but Smorgon could only add one more in the second half.
In the other match of round 2, Gomel were soundly beaten 0-7 at home by Vitebsk, for whom Karpova, Buzinova and Vasilyeva each scored twice.
Round 2
Dnepr Mogilev 0-3 ABFF U19 ( att : 70 )
Smorgon 6-0 Dinamo Brest ( att : 70 )
Gomel 0-7 Vitebsk ( att : 50 )
Bobruichanka 0-2 Zorka BGU ( att : 50 )
Dinamo BGU Minsk 3-2 FK Minsk ( att : 150 )
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