Amdouni scored twice in Xhaka's number 10. North Macedonia have gone five games without a goal under Sedloski

Switzerland opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-0 win over North Macedonia at the National Arena Todor Proeski on Saturday, in the first senior meeting between the two countries. North Macedonia vs Switzerland was also Goce Sedloski's fifth game in charge, and his side have still not scored a goal under him. Remo Freuler put the visitors ahead midway through the first half in front of 15,000, and Zeki Amdouni added two more, wearing the number 10 that normally belongs to Granit Xhaka.

Amdouni had a hand in all three. He headed Dan Ndoye's cross down for Freuler to finish the opener, then scored three minutes before half-time from Zachary Athekame's pass from the right. On 74 minutes Athekame found him again at the edge of the box, and Amdouni beat a defender before finishing with his weaker left foot. They were his 12th and 13th goals in 34 games for Switzerland.

The score could have been worse. Stole Dimitrievski turned a Ndoye shot onto the post, saved from Johan Manzambi before half-time and from Ndoye and Amdouni after it, and stopped the substitute Winsley Boteli in stoppage time. North Macedonia did not create a serious chance in 90 minutes. Early in the second half Matej Gashtarov was shown a straight red card, which the German referee Daniel Schlager reduced to a yellow after a VAR review.

Four Swiss debutants

Murat Yakin was without Xhaka and Breel Embolo, who are both missing the whole window, and Manuel Akanji captained the side. Athekame made his debut at right-back and set up two of the goals. Sascha Britschgi and Boteli came off the bench for their first caps, and Alvyn Sanches played his first competitive game for Switzerland. Yakin's complaint afterwards was that his side had not scored more, and that their attacks had leaned too heavily on one flank.

We were too heavy on the left. Then we came down the right twice, and twice there was a goal.

Murat Yakin, Switzerland head coach, speaking to SRF. Translated from German by ArenaBulletin.

Ardon Jashari, who took Xhaka's place beside Freuler, has North Macedonian roots. He told SRF that playing in Skopje had been a dream for his family and for himself.

Sedloski's warning

Sedloski congratulated Switzerland and called them the strongest team to visit Skopje in recent years, and in his own time. He was harder on some of his own players, and said he had told them in the dressing room that the way they played was unacceptable.

I want us to show character, and from some players today I did not see that character.

Goce Sedloski, North Macedonia head coach, after the match on Saturday. Translated from Macedonian by ArenaBulletin.

He singled out Gashtarov, a debutant, as an example of how to wear the national team shirt, and praised another first cap, Anes Meliqi, who came on in the second half. He said he would give more minutes to players who play regularly for their clubs and plans to call up one or two new players.

Slovenia and Scotland drew 0-0 in Ljubljana earlier on Saturday, so Switzerland lead League B Group 1 with three points. Scotland and Slovenia have one each and North Macedonia none. On Tuesday North Macedonia play Slovenia in Ljubljana, and Switzerland visit Scotland at Hampden.