When Apolonia wrote its name in the history of Albanian Football by defeating “17 Nentori” 4-1!

These are rare and incredible stories in football!
Different events without any similarity to each other.

It is the National Championship of the 1985-1986 season.
A championship that is characterized since its start with large scores and matches full of goals, where the team of “17 Nentori” stands out in the best form, perhaps in the entire history of its football, the team of Tirana has not had such an excellent form and an elite team.

The team led by coach Enver Shehu has found a perfect quadrature on the field, knowing how to place and harmoniously connect each element, creating an almost indestructible ensemble. Yes, they seem indestructible, above all their attack is atomic, Minga-Muca-Kola, an unstoppable trio in scoring goals, where Kola and Minga are almost never absent in any match to write their names…

And so in the 3rd week on September 22, 1985, on a hot day of a late summer, they defeated Partizan, their historical rival, 7-3. A match that has left a bitter taste especially for Partizan fans, but anyway after this championship that Dinamo will win, they can be consoled by a clever saying borrowed from Vujadin Boskov: Better a 7-3 loss than 7, 1-0 losses, or as in this case 5 losses of “17 Nentori” in this championship, 5-3 (to Dinamo), 4-0 (to Vllaznia), 2-1 (to Partizan in second fase) 4-1 (to Apolonia), 2-1 (to Lokomotiva)…

This week, the victory of Apolonia in Fier against Vllaznia 3-1 stands out, the Fier team having just come as winners from the second category a season ago.

In the 6th week, October 20, 1985, “17 Nentori” scores
6-0 against “Apolonia” of Majaci, where Kola stands out with 4 goals scored (17`, 20`, 74`, 84`).

“Nentorasit” who activated these players against “Apolonia”:
Mersini (Bathorja 80`) – Baci, Bimo, Lekbello, Josa – Ramadani, Mema, Harasani (Alimehmeti 46`) – Minga, Muca, Kola, now lead alone with 10 points and a goal difference of 17-3. A week later, 17 Nentori defeated “Naftetari” in Kucove / Stalin City 5-1.

“17 Nentori” until the 9th week is the leader by itself with 16 points and a goal difference of 26-5. All opponents seem to be afraid of them. No one has scored so many goals so far as “17 Nentori”.

But in the 10th week something started to seem not to work in the mechanism of their game, perhaps something psychological, seeing themselves as only superior to the others, the team “passes” and starts to lose ground.
Thus, in the 10th week, “17 Nentori” lost to “Dinamo”, contenders for the title, 5-3 on 24 November 1985 and a week later in the 11th week, on 1 December 1985, another heavy defeat, 4-0 this time against “Vllaznia” in Shkoder.

In two matches, Tirana team has scored 3 goals and conceded 9, and right after the defeat in Shkoder, they also lost the lead in the table standigs, to “Dinamo” who takes the lead with 18 points, two more than “17 Nentori”.

It seems like the magic of the Tirana game has been lost or isn’t working like it used to.

What about “Apolonia”?

Fieraket have closed the first phase in 8th place with 13 points and a goal difference of 13-18 (-5). In the 16th week “17 Nentori” lost to Partizan (1-2) “allowing” “Dinamo” to break into the lead +4 points!

In the 18th week, “Dinamo`s” 7-1 result stands out, against Traktori of Lushnje.

We thus arrive at the 19th week of March 30, 1986.
Apolonia – “17 Nentori”, the match to which we have dedicated this article.

Before this match, the locals “Apolonia”, which came from the second category a year ago, is in 8th place with 17 points and a goal difference of 19-26, while “17 Nentori” is in second place with 27 points and a goal difference of 40-19.

The difference between them is very noticeable, even though both teams are a little similar in attack. Majaci – Tole and Kokuri are not behind that of Tirana`s, Muca-Minga and Kola!

The “Loni Papuciu” stadium is filled with a lot of enthusiasm from the local fans who greet the departure of both teams with flowers and flying pigeons.

The match starts with a study phase from both sides.
“17 Nentori” must win to not fall behind “Dinamo”, which occupies the lead with a 4-point advantage. A day earlier, “Dinamo” drew 0-0 against Beselidhja in Tirana. For Tirana, today it is a good opportunity. The white and blue team are released in front and in the 20th minute, Josa has given the team the advantage. “Apolonia” 0, “17 Nentori” 1!

Since scoring this goal, the match gains pace and this is thanks to the home team “Apolonia” who now takes the initiative to control the game. “17 Nentori”, who has now taken it easily, seems satisfied with 1-0 and has given “Apolonia” ground, but successfully breaking every home action.

The second half has a different look. “Apolonia” has increased the pace of the game and for its part attacks the goal of the “nentorasve” team continuously without stopping, who seem to be in difficulty. The 6-0 defeat in Tirana by “17 Nentori” weighs heavily on the Apolonia players who want at all costs at least a minimal victory against them.

Only 10 minutes have passed since the second half and the Fierak team struggle has been rewarded with a goal by Tole (55′); Five minutes later, after a brilliant action by the Fierak attack, Poci has overturned the score to 2-1!
The stadium erupts like a volcano.

Supported by their passionate fans who are pushing up the steps of the small “Loni Papuciu” stadium, Majaci and his Apolonia, now fly on the wings of an enthusiasm from which the players of “17 Nentori” can never restrain it.

Tole, Kokuri, and of course Majaci do whatever they want before the attack and thus the latter scores the third goal in the 78th minute.

Apolonia 3, “17 Nentori” 1!

The journalist who hosts the show “Nga njera ndeshje ne tjetren”(From, one match to another) Ahmet Shqarri, who does not believe, asks the commentator from Fieri Mikel Mbricaj to confirm the result in whose favor…

The footballers of “17 Nentori”, who apparently have overestimated their strength, are now trying in vain to save the team’s name from a catastrophe and an even large score.

Coach Enver Shehu, can’t believe his eyes. He stands up and calls on his boys to stay organized in defense and apply the counterattack. But Shehu, without finishing his instructions to his team, in the 85th minute, Apolonia scores again through Demce, the 4th goal. 4-1! This is unbelievable!

The fans are in ecstasy!!!
The closing whistle of this challenge brings their cheers that resemble like the eruption of a volcano. A deserved victory of course for the Fieri boys but that no one dared until the 90th minute to think of a victory for Apolonia and even more so with a sensational result of 4-1 from a team that came from the second category which won against one of the elite teams of Albanian football, if not for the best time in the country.

The 6-0 defeat of the first phase is now “washed away”!

At the end of this championship season, “17 Nentori” will be ranked in 3rd place with 37 points, behind the champion Dinamo with goal difference, (38 points) alongside Flamurtari (38 points).

Apolonia, for its part, will be positioned in 7th place with 26 points, proving in the coming seasons that it is a team to be taken seriously and in consideration. Starting from goalkeeper Stefa and continuing with Bita, Tegu, Poci, Pogace, Demce, Tole, Kokuri and up to the key player of this team and its best scorer Kujtim Majaci, it will undoubtedly be ranked as one of the rivals of the big teams, Partizani, Dinamo, Vllaznia, “17 Nentori”, or even Flamurtari, Luftetari, Besa…

(C) Pierin Bj
New York: April 30, 2026
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Sport Vision + Plus / Champions Hour in activity since 2013

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