March 11, 2026
The 2026 season in Lithuania had now reached round 4, and after the first 3 rounds bizarrely being played indoors on artificial pitches, some matches are now being played outdoors, including today’s. Fatbear struggles to understand why the 36-game season in Lithuania can’t be scheduled to avoid having to play any matches in the indoor domes !
These diaries have regularly covered the A-Lyga, with 16 reports to-date, although the last was a review of the 2023 season. Panevezys’ victory in a 2024 Champions League Qualifying match against HJK Helsinki was also subsequently reported on.
A-Lyga Update
The A-Lyga was rebranded before the start of this season as TOPLYGA.
Following the unexpected success of FK Panevezys winning the title in 2023, normality returned in 2024 when FK Zalgiris won their 11th title. However, 2025 saw another surprise when Kauno Zalgiris won their first ever title.
FC Hegelmann
Hegelmann were formed in 2009 as essentially a works team for a German freight and logistics company, and achieved promotion to the A-Lyga at the end of the 2020 season when they finished as runners-up in the I-Lyga. Since a 5th placed finish at the end of the 2023 season, Hegelmann finished as runners-up in both the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Hegelmann had also finished as runners-up in the 2022, 2024 & 2025 Lithuanian Cup.
In September 2024, Hegelmann moved into a new stadium, the Raudondvaris Stadium in a suburb of Kaunas, which has an official capacity of 1,550, and has an artificial surface. A bank of open seats ran along most of the far side with a tiny covered section either side of the half-way line, whilst there was a covered stand behind one of the goals. The other two sides of the ground were empty and fenced off.
Hegelmann competed in European competition in the past two seasons, but exited at the first hurdle on both occasions, being eliminated by FK Shkupi of North Macedonia and Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic, without winning a game.
After their second placed finish last season, Hegelmann’s start to the new season had been disappointing. In their first game they lost 0-2 in a “home” match against Banga played in the indoor dome in Marijampole, 63km away from Kaunas, but they drew both of their next two matches 1-1, against Dziugas again in Marijampole, and then at FK Panevezys.
The two home matches played in Marijampole had drawn pitiful attendances of 130 and 101, compared to an average of 411 for 2025.
Hegelmann are known as The Blue And Whites.
FC Hegelmann Squad
Of the key players that achieved the 5th place finish in 2023, only midfielder Vilius Armanavicius ( 6 caps ) was still at the club, having returned before the start of this season after spells with Kazakh side Caspiy Aktau, and then Kauno Zalgiris after returning to Lithuania.
Ex-Riteriai and Kauno Brazilian forward Michael Thiuque was now with I-Lyga side FK BE1 after playing for Azeri side Shamakhi, and ex-Panevezys Brazilian centre-back/left-back Hugo Figueiredo had signed for Jonava after playing last season for Banga.
Ex-Spartak Trnava and Celje Croatian striker Filip Dangubic was now with Kuwaiti side Al-Jahra, ex- Belshina and Torpedo Zhodino Nigerian centre-back Samuel Odeoyobo was now playing in Kazakhstan, and ex-Gorodeya and Gomel Serbian playmaker Lazar Sajcic was currently without a club after fleeting stays in Slovenia, Malaysia, Serbia, Bosnia and Riteriai in Lithuania.
International centre-back Klaudijus Upstas ( 12 caps ) had joined Kauno Zalgiris in the winter break, striker Augustinas Klimavicius ( 6 caps ) was now playing in the 4th level in Italy, and defender Vilius Armalas ( 6 caps ) had signed for MTK Budapest.
The current Hegelmann squad contained one current international, midfielder Matijus Remeikis had 4 caps, although centre-back Domas Slendzoka and winger Esmilis Kausinis were Under 21 internationals.
Winger Donatas Kazlauskas had won 34 caps and had played in Poland, Romania and Ukraine, whilst defender Rimvydas Sadauskas had been called up to national squad without making a debut, and had played in China.
Cameroon midfielder Samuel Gouet ( 34 caps ) had previously played for Mechelen, Yverdon-Sport and Politehnica Iasi, Japanese left-back/defensive midfielder Carlos Duke had signed from Latvian side Valmeira, and Ukrainian midfielder Artem Shchedryi had played for several sides in his homeland as well as Levadia in Estonia, Prostejov in the Czech Republic and Panevezys in Lithuania.
Bosnian right-back Vedad Radonja had briefly played for AEK Athens, striker Abdel Njoya was from Cameroon, whilst keeper Lukas Paukste was now with his fifth Lithuanian club. Swedish forward Darrell Tibbell had previously played for IFK Norkopping and Norwegian side Sandefjord.
Nigerian defender Barry Isaac had featured in these diaries playing for West Armenia in 2024 and midfielder Wesley was Brazilian.
FA Saiuliai
FA Saiuliai were founded in 2007 as a football academy and worked their way up the Lithuanian pyramid to achieve promotion to the A-Lyga for the 2022 season. With a squad of Lithuanian players, plus two from Ukraine, Saiuliai finished 3rd in 2023 to qualify for their only season in Europe, where they lost 0-2 on aggregate to Estonian side Levadia.
In the past two seasons Saiuliai had finished 7th and 5th.
Saiuliai’s start to this season saw a 2-2 at FK TransInvest, then a 0-0 draw at Sudova. The home game played in the Panevezys indoor dome against FK Zalgiris resulted in a 0-2 loss in front of an attendance of 255. Last season their average attendance was 656.
FA Saiuliai Squad
Star midfielder Daniel Romanovskis ( 12 caps ) was back at the club after a brief spell with Dinamo Tbilisi, but Ukrainian top scorer Oleksiy Shchebetun was now playing in Kazakhstan for Qizilqum, and forward Eligijus Jankauskas ( 12 caps ) was now playing in the Israeli second tier for Hapoel Rishon LeZion.
Despite their reputation as an academy for local talent, Saiuliai’s squad for this season contained seven foreigners. Portuguese winger Rui Batalha had been a lower league journeyman in his home country before joining in January, full-back Marko Mandic was from Serbia, midfielder Sammy Skytte was Danish and had played for Silkeborg, Bodo/Glimt in Norway and HB Torshavn in the Faroe Islands, Nigerian centre-forward Chidera Nwoga had signed from Lithuanian side FK TransInvest after playing in Malta, whilst left-back Lazar Vukovic was also from Serbia.
Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, more commonly known as Benny, had been on the books of Feyenoord and loaned to Dordrecht, whilst Ghanaian midfielder Divine Naah had been at Manchester City as a youth, and had subsequently appeared for NAC Breda, AFC Tubize, FC Nordsjaelland in addition to playing for sides in Norway, Sweden, Israel, Malta, Azerbaijan as well as several seasons at Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania.
Defender Nojus Stankevičius had been called up to the National squad but was still to make his debut. Brooklyn Leipus started his career at Bristol Rovers, and had been loaned out to Didcot and Cinderford then played for Swindon Supermarine before returning to Lithuania in January.
Matchday Information
The journey from Saiuliai to Kaunas is approximately 145 kms and should normally take just over 2 hours. It looked like around 20 Saiuliai supporters had made the journey.
The weather at the 14.00 kick-off ( 12.00 UK time ) was sunny and the temperature 12 degrees.
Entrance to the game was free, as were all of Hegelmann’s home games at the Raudondvaris Stadium in 2025.
Bet365 made Hegelmann 7/10 favourites, with Saiuliai at 16/5 and the draw 13/5
Hegelmann made two changes to the side that with Panevezys, with Rokas Bagdonavicius replacing Paukste in goal for his debut and Gouet replaced Kazlauskas.
FA Saiuliai made one change from their last match, with 19 year old Danielius Jarasius replacing Deividas Dovydaitis
The Blue and Whites were playing in a mostly white shirt with black shorts and white socks, whilst Saiuliai were in all yellow. The referee and his assistants were in all black, a rarity these days !
The national anthem was played before kick-off.
Matchday Report
Hegelmann were on the attack in the first minute after a quickly taken free-kick enabled Kausinis to release Duke down the left. Two Hegelmann attackers managed to get their heads to the cross, which was eventually cleared, and when the home sides reworked possession and the ball was returned into the Siauliai area, there were appeals for a handball against Bierontas which the referee waved away.
It was the visitors though who had the first chance of the match as Nwoga caused a nuisance of himself inside the Hegelmann penalty area in the 4th minute, and the ball fell to Romanovskis, but his first time left footed shot from 8 yards was blocked by Bagdonavicius and hoofed away from a throw-in.
A minute later Hegelmann’s Njoya looked to be running clear on goal but the referee blew for a foul on Gabijus Micevicius, who had fallen to the floor, perhaps far too easily when challenged.
Hegelmann won the first corner of the game in the 13th minute when, with Saiuliai in possession halfway inside the Hegelmann half, Micevicius strangely decided to play a pass back to his goalkeeper, but the execution was appalling and keeper Linkevicius had to come out of his area to concede a throw-in to prevent Njoya from capitalising. Hegelmann took the throw quickly but Stankevicius made an important tackle on Njoya and the ball went out for a corner.
Bagdonavicius was in the action again in the 15th minute, leaping to claw away Batalha’s left footed chip at the far post to prevent Nwoga heading home. He needed to be alert a minute later to gather a header from Pranckus from another cross from the left by Batalha. Saiuliai were looking dangerous.
At the other end, Linkevicius bravely dived at the feet of Njoya after a through ball by Kausinis and when Njoya gathered the loose ball, his cross along the face of the goalmouth was cleared by the sliding Bierontas. Siauliai went down the other end and Micevicius’ ball across the 18-yard line reached Batalha, but under pressure the Portuguese winger could only shoot a couple of feet wide.
The game turned in first half added time, when Stankevičius leapt with Njoya to make a defensive header but the ball struck his outstretched arm and a penalty was awarded. Although Linkevicius went the right way, he was unable to reach Armanavicius’s spot-kick. 1-0 after 45+2 minutes.
Matters got worse for Saiuliai in the 67th minute when Stankevicius pulled back Njoya to prevent the Cameroonian from racing clear, and received a second yellow and hence a red card for his troubles.
Saiuliai kept plugging away though despite the numerical disadvantage, and got their reward near the end of the match when Nwoga ran onto a ball into the Hegelmann area from Pranckus and produced an excellent acrobatic finish to send the ball past Bagdoanavicius before Sadauskas could make a block. 1-1 with 87 minutes played.
There was still time for Hegelmann to create chances to win the game. Substitute Tibell completely missed his header from a left wing cross when free 6 yards out, then Kazlauskas’ left footed effort from the edge of the area went narrowly over the bar. However, Saiuliai held on for a point, which left both sides winless so far in the season
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXu_PyccbZc
FC Hegelmann : Bagdonavicius – Radonja ( Isaac ), Gouet, Sadauskas, Slendzoka, Duke – Shchedryi, Remeikis ( Kazlauskas ), Armanavicius ( Wesley ), Kausinis ( Kaulinis ) – Njoya ( Tibell )
FA Saiuliai : Linkevicius – Micevicius, Stankevicius, Bierontas, Vukovic – Pranckus ( Vaitiekaitis ), Romanovskis ( Leipus ), Zebrauskas ( Gestaukas ), Jarasius ( Dovydaitis ), Batalha ( Naah ) – Nwoga
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