Guide to Macedonia

Macedonia are still an emerging football nation

England v Macedonia | Wed 16 October KO 2000 BST | Live and interactive on BBC One, BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Sport Online

Macedonia's football team could do worse than turn to the region's two most famous heroes for a little help.

Neither Alexander the Great nor Mother Teresa of Calcutta (born in Macedonia of Albanian stock) would have gone near a football pitch but both could provide inspiration to the players of Macedonia.

  Macedonia at-a-glance

Area: 25,713 square kilometres.

Population: 2,075,000.

Independence: 17 October 1991.

Highest mountain: Golem Korab (2,753m).

National Anthem: Today Above Macedonia.

Alexander knew a thing or two about attacking formations, and his defensive ploys held off the best in their day.

And what's the use of having what amounts to your own personal national saint if you cannot ask her for a favour or two?

Although an ancient and proud kingdom, Macedonia only became an independent state again following the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Macedonian football was born on 13 October 1993 with a 4-1 defeat by Slovenia.

Since then, Macedonia has struggled manfully to create an identity for itself in world football.

Macedonian teams and individuals have had their moments of glory.

Mother Teresa may be receiving one or two prayers from Macedonians

FK Vardar won the Yugoslavian league title in 1985-86, while the Red Star Belgrade side that won the European Cup in 1991 was spearheaded by arguably the best player to emerge from Macedonia, Darko Pancev.

Pancev was Europe's hottest striking property in the early 1990s, scoring 84 goals in three seasons for Red Star.

His scoring feats for Red Star earned Pancev a big money move to Inter Milan.

Unfortunately, Pancev spectacularly failed to live up to his reputation scoring just one goal in 12 appearances before Inter bombed him out.

Pancev's career continued in Germany but he faded rapidly from the scene.

English football fans will be most familiar with Georgi Hristov, but not necessarily for his football skills.

Georgi Hristov achieved his own brand of fame at Barnsley

Hristov was Barnsley's former record signing at £1.5m but made himself hugely unpopular in South Yorkshire when he declared: "All Barnsley women are ugly."

It was Hristov who got Macedonia's Euro 2004 qualifying campain off to a flying start.

He fired Macedonia into an eighth-minute lead against Liechtenstein but the wheels fell off as Michael Stoklasa scored an injury-time equaliser.

That result against the tiddliest of Europe's football minnows came just two years after Macedonia thumped the tiny alpine principalitiy 11-1.

It prompted immediate action from national coach Nikola Ilievski, who swung his axe as he boldly announced his squad for the Euro 2004 qualifiers against Turkey and England.

Darko Pancev is arguably Macedonia's most famous player

Out went Goran Pandev and Ace Stojkov from Italian Serie C club La Spezia, along with captain Igor Nikolovski who plays his football in Belgium with SK Lierse.

Ilievski pointedly announced: "I'll call them when they are in good shape."

The coach has pinned his hopes on home-based players, bringing in young defenders Toni Meglenski and Pance Cumbev, from Pobeda Prilep, and strikers Ivica Gligorovski from Sileks Kratovo and Danco Masev from Belasica GC Strumica.

Ilievski is already planning a more cautious approach against England and World Cup semi-finaloists Turkey.

"We cannot play offensive football against England and Turkey," said Ilievski.