Estonian women's football team avenge Kosovo hammering by taking away win

Estonia's women's national football team avenged an 8:0 loss against Kosovo a few days ago by beating the same side 2:1 away in Pristina on Monday.
Katarina Elisabeth Käpa had a nice debut as goalkeeper and nearly kept a clean sheet, while Lisandra Rannasto and Anstasia Ivanova also made their first appearances for the first team.
The game, a friendly, was Estonia's final match of the year and the first win for manager Aleksandra Ševoldajeva in her new role. Post-match, Ševoldajeva praised the team's ability to control the flow of play and to conduct set pieces.
"When you lose 8:0 in the first game, it can seem like that result defines reality. But today we analyzed situations that weren't under control in the first game. We managed the moments better, and the players executed their tasks well," she said.
Ševoldajeva added that despite the game being a tough one, the team proved to themselves that the factors of success are within their control. "In some moments, we overcompensated, but it's important for players to better sense the game and its dynamics," the new manager went on.
They stayed focused, addressed key strategies, and made progress by reinforcing strong fundamentals, she added.
On the day, Estonia took the initiative this time, leading 2:0 at halftime with goals from Vlada Kubassova in the 23rd minute and Kristina Teern in the 35th minute.
In the game's closing minutes, Kosovo could easily have drawn level, however, as they were awarded no fewer than two penalties. While the first, in the 84th minute, hit the post, the second, in injury time, beat Käpa into the net.
Estonia's win-loss-draw record in 2024 was 3-5-3. The wins included a second consecutive Baltic Cup victory in Riga this summer.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Siim Boikov