M. Čepas debuted as national team coach, while Lithuania held its own against Suriname

2026-11-12 21:15 © lff.lt

The Lithuania national men's football team took on Suriname in a friendly on Thursday evening. The match in Kaunas ended goalless.

The meeting between the teams at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium was marked by several firsts. Goalkeeper Arnas Voitinowicz appeared in the starting eleven of the national team coached by Mindaugas Čepas; he was replaced after the break by fellow debutant Vincentas Šarkauskas, while midfielder Nikita Pavlovsky also took to the pitch. The Lithuanian men's national team faced a team from the CONCACAF football confederation for the first time.

In the first half, Lithuania had more shots on goal than their opponents. The combination of Gvidas Gineitis and Pijus Širvys posed a threat to Suriname, with Širvys heading Gineitis' crosses in the 8th and 38th minutes. The visitors managed to block shots by Paulius Golubickas, Armandas Kučys and Gineitis.

In the second half, Suriname goalkeeper Jahnilo Weigeli had to save powerful efforts by Domantas Šluta in the 49th and 67th minutes.

In the 61st minute, the Surinamese side almost punished Lithuania for a defensive error, but Vincentas Šarkauskas caught Jaden Montnor's shot.

Four minutes later, the defenders managed to block Joel Piroe's effort. The forward had the best chance to score in the 71st minute, but Lithuania were saved by Šarkauskas, who defended his goal brilliantly.

Towards the end of the half, Lithuania intensified their attack. Gratas Sirgėdas, Justas Lasickas, Edgaras Dubickas and Matas Vareika were unable to take advantage of promising opportunities. The final shot of the match was a header by Kipras Kažukolovas following a corner, but the score remained unchanged—0–0.

Lithuania will play their final match of the year in Kaunas on Monday, when they conclude their UEFA Nations League campaign with a game against Liechtenstein.