March 28, 29 & 30, 2024
The Belarus Women’s Premier League this year consists of the same 11 teams as last season. The indications so far though are that the league could be more evenly contest than in the past few years.
The season began with the traditional curtain raiser of the Super Cup, between Champions and Cup winners Dinamo-BGU Minsk, and FK Minsk, runners-up in both competitions, with the game being played at the FK Minsk stadium. Normally there is a lot of fanfare in the build-up to this match, but this year the pre-match publicity was non-existent, unlike all the Premier League games it wasn’t streamed live on YouTube, and the YouTube channel still doesn’t have any highlights of the game. It also hasn’t been mentioned on the Belarus FA website.
Thanks to Soccerway, we know that FK Minsk won the match 1-0, with the only goal of the game being scored in the 26th minute from midfielder Ulyana Asaula, which the FK Minsk website describes as being a goal-keeping error.
This was the first time Dinamo had ever lost to another Belarussian side in a competitive match since their formation in 2020, winning every league match except for three draws ( against Neman Grodno in 2020 and FK Minsk and Dnepr Mogilev in 2022 ). Penalty shoot-outs were needed to beat FK Minsk in the 2020 & 2022 Cup Finals and the 2023 Super Cup, and the 2023 Cup Final went to extra-time before Dinamo prevailed.
The line-ups for the Super Cup showed both sides to be substantially weaker on paper than last season, and the win for FK Minsk was an indicator that Dinamo may not have another procession towards the league title this year.
From last year’s squad, Dinamo had lost keeper Elena Ulasevich and forward Ekaterina Dudko to Rostov, defenders Alina Skydan to Rubin Kazan and Ksenia Kubicknaya to Dinamo Moscow, midfielder Anastasia Shlapakova to Zvezda Perm and strikers Anastasia Linnik to Al-Hilal and Daria Stezkho to Zorka. Striker Viktoria Valyuk and defender Anastasia Popova were missing, and didn’t feature on the Dinamo website, so their whereabouts was unknown.
Dinamo had focused on youth with the new recruits, with 6 players arriving from ABFF Under 19s, who finished third in the league last season, two from Zorka ( Yana Artisheveskaya and Olga Kapysha ) and keeper Anna Zaletova from Dnepr Mogilev. The one big signing was 20 year old international midfielder Anna Sas from Carl Zeiss Jena, who had previously played for FK Minsk.
FK Minsk had lost 9 first team regulars in the close season, with 6 players heading to Russia. Three signed for Krylya Sovetov ( midfielders Elizaveta Pinchuk, Yana Khotyreva and Marina Kiskonen ), defender Anna Krasikova joined Yenisey, Ugandan midfielder Joan Nabiry went to Spartak Moscow and defender Valeria Bogdan is now with Spartak Moscow. Keeper Kamilla Butkevich joined a side in Kazakhstan and perhaps surprisingly, international centre-back Anastasia Novikova was now playing for Gomel, who had won only one game in two seasons, but was the city where Novikova was born. The biggest loss for FK Minsk though was striker Melena Surovtseva, who scored an incredible 59 times in 27 matches last season, but was now playing for Hungarian side Puskas Academy.
FK Minsk had brought home two international players from abroad, with midfielder Valeria Belaya returning from Zvezda Perm in Russia and defender Viktoria Kazakevich from French side St Etienne. Two foreigners with little known backgrounds had also arrived, Kazakh defender Mariya Demidova and Mozambique striker Cidalia Cuta, who had been playing in Tanzania and is also known as Ninika. Wikipedia reported that Ninika had at least 3 caps for Mozambique. One intriguing signing was the return from Smorgon of 35 year old Liana Miroshnichenko, who had played for FK Minsk between 2011-2017. Attacking midfielder Aleksandra Samoylova joined from ABFF Under 19 and midfielder Viktoria Plisyuk arrived from Zorka.
Round 3
FK Smorgon 0-14 FK Minsk ( att : 25 )
FK Vitebsk 1-4 Dinamo-BGU Minsk ( att : 60 )
Bobruichanka 1-1 ABFF U19 ( att : 40 )
Dyussh Polesgu 3-1 FC Gomel ( att : 92 )
Dinamo Brest 1-2 Dnepr Mogilev ( att : 65 )
The first match of the weekend saw FK Minsk predictably romp to a 14-0 win at Smorgon in a game played at the indoor dome in Grodno. Minsk had started the season with two victories, 6-0 at Zorka and 5-1 at home to Bobruichanka.
Smorgon had finished a respectable 6th last season but can be expected to have a tough season, and were already potential wooden spoonists. Their team that started against FK Minsk consisted of 10 players in their first season in the WPL, with only 18-year-old Ulyana Strashkevich remaining from 2023, and she was the oldest player in the Smorgon squad. Three players had moved to Bobruichanka, two to Zorka, one to Gomel, and in addition to Miroshnichenko, four teenagers were now with FK Minsk, presumably returning after season long loans to get experience.
The fixture scheduler had been unkind to Smorgon, with them first having to play Dinamo-BGU ( 0-12 ) and now FK Minsk. A truer test of their abilities should come when their postponed match against Gomel was played.
Minsk were 2 up after 6 minutes but Smorgon kept the score down to 4 at half-time. Minsk though, added ten more in the second period, and had eight players on the scoresheet. Kristina Kiyanka led the way with a hat-trick and Miroshnichenko scored two first half goals against her former club, but could have had five or six !
After their 4-1 win in the indoor dome in Vitebsk, Dinamo-BGU Minsk had now played three, won three, having previously beaten Bobruichanka 11-0 away and Smorgon 12-0 at home.
Vitebsk narrowly lost their opening fixture, going down 0-1 at home to Dnepr Mogilev in a closely fought encounter, and then looked to be being held to an embarrassing goal-less draw at home to Gomel until three goals in the last three minutes spared their blushes.
Vitebsk were troublesome opponents for Dinamo-BGU last season, with a 0-2 loss in Minsk being the narrowest winning margin for Dinamo-BGU in the whole league season, apart from their three games against FK Minsk. This time, they actually scored, meaning Dinamo-BGU had already equalled the number of league goals conceded in the whole of 2023 !
There had been a couple of changes to the Vitebsk squad during the close season, with experienced midfielder Elena Buzinova returning to Bobruichanka after three seasons with Vitebsk, and striker Anastasia Evrezova, last season’s top scorer with 14 goals, jumping ship to join Dinamo Brest. In the other direction, Valentina Nizhegorodova signed from Dnepr Mogilev, Russian defender Aleksandra Nesterovich joined on loan from Dinamo-BGU, and Russian midfielder Sabina Kazieva arrived from Krylya Sovetov.
Two goals from Daria Manyukova gave the visitors a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. However, in first half added time, Nizhegorodova fired home from inside the six yard box after a goalmouth scramble following a corner to make it 1-2 at the interval. Dinamo-BGU restored the normal order in the second half, with further goals from Anastasia Shuppo and Anna Sinyavskaya to complete the 4-1 scoreline.
After their dismal year in 2023, Bobruichanka had been busy in strengthening their squad for the current campaign, with midfielders Yulia Duben, Anastastia Sidorchuk Daria Linnik transferring from Smorgon and Elena Buzinova returning from Vitebsk. Also re-joining the former giants was Ekaterina Kazak from Dinamo Brest, and this week, defender Angelina Giros joined on loan from FK Minsk, having played for Smorgon last year.
Bobruichanka also had a tough start, losing 0-11 at home to Dinamo-BGU but then lost 1-5 loss at FK Minsk, a vast improvement of the 0-12 hammering in 2023.
After a historic third place finish last season, like in past years, ABFF Under 19, a side formed to give young players the opportunity to play top flight football and to help the national Under 19 side’s performance in UEFA competitions, had lost nearly all of their squad. As an indication of their quality, most joined Dinamo-BGU or FK Minsk, and a new crop of promising youngsters arrived in their place, nearly all of them 17 or under to give them two years to play and develop together. Their first outing had been a respectable 0-3 loss against an experienced Zorka side.
The match was played outdoors, and Bobruichanka took a first half lead when Duben converted a cross from the right wing at the second attempt at the far post. ABFF Under 19 came on strong as the game progressed and in added on time, a goal mouth scramble from a corner was cleared off the line by Loginova and in another scramble the referee awarded a penalty for a foul I must admit I didn’t see in the replays. In any case, 17 year old Aliaksandra Taraduda, one of the survivors from last season, stepped up to calmly convert the spot-kick, leaving the keeper rooted to the line, to give both sides a point each.
The game between Dyussh Polesgu and FC Gomel was a meeting between the bottom sides from last season, with both sides only avoiding defeat when they played each other. Both had goal differences of over minus 200 . In their three meetings in 2023, there were two draws and one win for Dyussh Polesgu.
Gomel had significantly strengthened their squad, with keeper Anna Bonderenko joining from Borbuichanka, midfielder Yana Esman coming from ABFF U19, and defender Valeria Karachun signing from Smorgon. In addition, as mentioned above, there was the incredible move of regular international centre-back Anastasia Novikova to join from FK Minsk.
Gomel came close to springing a surprise at Dnepr, but we undone by three goals in the closing minutes.
Pinsk based Dyussh Polesgu looked to have more or less the same youthful, inexperienced squad from last season, and started the season with a 0-6 home loss to Dinamo Brest followed up by an embarrassing 0-22 defeat at Dnepr, so they went into the match against Gomel very much the underdogs. However, in a game which attracted the week-end’s highest crowd, and played outdoors, Dyussh Polesgu caused a major shock by winning 3-1.
After 9 minutes Anastasia Gonchar bundled a corner over the line off her chest before Novikova hacked clear. For several seconds it was unclear what the referee’s decision was, but eventually the goal was confirmed and Dyussh Polesgu led. Gomel were back on level terms in the 29th minute when after being set up by Esman, Maria Pavlova’s 18 yard effort sailed over the keeper’s head and into the roof of the net.
The home side then enjoyed a good spell, with Sofia Girnik having a goal chalked off for offside, and Elizaveta Chukholskaya’s ball across the goalmouth after a marauding run to the by-line went begging. They regained the lead on the stroke of half-time, with Alina Kozhukhar shooting into the roof of the net from 10 yards after Arlanova failed to clear a low ball from the left.
Dyussh Polesgu continued to create chances in the second half, Yana Golik’s glancing header from Ksenia Salivonchik’s free-kick hit the base of the post. With 7 minutes remaining, Gomel again failed to deal with a corner, and Maria Verenich turned to scoop left footed from 10 yards over the keeper and into the net.
As the minutes ticked away, Novikova decided to play in a more advanced role for Gomel, loping forward like a hungry gazelle as Alan Hansen remarked in the past, setting up Karachun to shoot at the keeper, and then ran through, rounded the keeper but her effort from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Savlionchik. Also, an attempted clearance from a cross from Karachun hit Anna Reut but trickled just wide.
The final game of the round saw Dnepr Mogilev travel to Dinamo Brest, where they edged home to continue their 100% start to the season. Dnepr’s first two matches saw a narrow 1-0 win at Vitebsk and a 22-0 goal-glut against Smorgon. Their squad looked pretty similar to last season, although Valentina Nizhegorodova had moved to Vitebsk and keeper Anna Zaletova joined Dinamo-BGU.
Despite finishing third from bottom, Dinamo Brest were much improved last year and in recognition of this keeper Darya Vinograd was called up to the current national squad, a rare accolade for someone not playing for one of the two Minsk giants. She didn’t play but it was still some achievement.
Dinamo had recruited Anastasia Evrezova from Vitebsk as the only significant change to last year’s squad, and they started their campaign with a 6-0 win at Dyussh Polesgu. Viktoria Sidorchuk scored twice in that match but was an unused substitute here. Also missing was centre-back Anna Mukha, a cornerstone in the defence last season, but who is yet to feature this season.
Elizaveta Khandoga missed two good chances early on for Dinamo and they were made to pay in the 18th minute when Karolina Zhitko’s free-kick took a wicked deflection off the defensive wall and fell for Viktoryia Barlyugova to steer home from close range.
Khandoga then failed to make a proper connection when unmarked 6 yards out from a left wing cross, but fortunately for Dinamo, the ball made it’s way to Daria Myshlenik free at the far post, and although the ball was temporarily stuck under her foot, it gently rolled over the line for an equaliser.
With the scores level at the break, Khandoga then squandered another good chance in the first minute of the second period after being put clear by Kaganyuk. However, in the 60th minute a nice move from Dnepr played in Zhitko, who had time to transfer on to right foot and slam home from 12 yards to restore the lead for Dnepr, to which they held on to.
Zorka-BDU were the side to miss out in round 3. They had experienced a mixed start, falling to a 0-6 home loss to FK Minsk before beating ABFF Under 19 3-0. Their new signings included veteran defender Tatiana Kenda, and Anastasia Igrusha from Smorgon, and International midfielder Daria Stezkho from Dinamo-BGU, to offset the departures of Yana Artisheveskaya and Olga Kapysha to Dinamo-BGU.
Belarus Women’s Cup
With the on-going decision to exclude ABFF U19 from the cup competition, the top 6 remaining clubs are exempt to the quarter finals, whilst the bottom 4 sides play in the first round.
With a blank week-end with the national team playing European Championship qualifiers in Cyprus against Cyprus and Georgia ( where at the time of written they had beaten Cyprus 3-0 but were still to play Georgia ), it was an opportunity for the first round to be played.
April 7, 2024
Bobruichanka 4-0 Gomel
Dyussh Polesgu 0-6 Dinamo Brest
Without Novikova in their line-up, Gomel were always going to be up against it, and their task got harder when Anastasia Sidorchuk slotted home from 12 yards in the 13th minute. It got worse for Gomel in the 29th minute when Olga Aniskovsteva latched onto Duben’s slide rule pass and smartly despatched the ball left-footed past the advancing keeper from 12 yards.
Bobruichanka dominated the second half but all of their long range efforts failed to inconvenience keeper Bondarenko until the 88th minute when Loginova played in Gorbunova for a simple finish. In added on time Sidorchuk was fouled running into the area, and Duben converted the spot-kick to give a 4-0 final scoreline.
Although Dinamo Brest had a weakened side with Vinograd on international duty, and Sidorchuk and Mukha still missing, they were still far too strong for Dyussh Polesgu. Three quality finishes from Evrezova gave Dinamo a three goal lead, which Myshlenik added to for a 4-0 score at half-time.
The second half was scrappy, until a nice move involving Plokhova and Myshlenik set-up a simple finish for Yatsuskevich. The scoring was completed 20 minutes from the end when Klyukina’s ball in from the right put Dubovik clear for a routine finish from 8 yards.
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