Fresh faces for Armenia
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Article summary
Armenia have called up three debutants for the qualifiers against Greece and Northern Ireland.
Article body
Suspended skipper
Armenia face Greece on 6 September and Northern Ireland four days later and Stoichita is keen to get at least a point from the two games, but will have to do without FC Torpedo-Metallurg Moskva captain Sargis Hovsepyan who is suspended.
New faces
Instead, Stoichita has gone for youthful exuberance and included FC Pyunik's 21-year-old forward Galust Petrosyan, along with his club mate Marian Tudor Zeciu and FC Rostov's Anatoly Morozov.
Doubtful duo
Karen Dokhoyan and Eduard Partsikyan, meanwhile, are both carrying injuries but Stoichita hopes they will be fit and has named them in his 22-man squad.
Trailing Greece
Armenia lie fourth in Group 6, having collected four points from five games. They drew at home to Ukraine in their first qualifying match and also beat Northern Ireland at home. They trail group leaders Greece by eight points and second-placed Spain by seven.
Armenia squad
Berezovski, Hambartsumyan, Edima Bete, Hovsepyan, Vardanyan, Dokhoyan, Bilibio, Zeciu, Morozov, Artur Petrosyan, Khachatryan, Sargsyan, Voskanyan, Mkrtchyan, Melikyan, Partsikyan, Aleksanyan, Lombe, Artavazd Karamyan, Arman Karamyan, Hakobyan, Galust Petrosyan.
