The men’s football team of Macau lost 4-1 to Aruba in the second edition of the FIFA Series, extending its winless run in official matches to nearly seven years.
Playing in Kigali, Aruba took an early lead through Carlito Fermina in the sixth minute. Jaybrien Romano then scored twice in quick succession (13 and 16 minutes), putting the Caribbean side firmly in control.
In the second half, Conner van Kilsdonk added a fourth goal before Amâncio Goitia, who plays for Benfica de Macau, pulled one back late in the match.
The game took place at the Amahoro Stadium, where Macau started Nuno Pereira, a player from Portimonense SC.
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Aruba, ranked 191st in the FIFA rankings, will next face the winner of the match between Tanzania and Liechtenstein. The loser will play against Macau.
Macau currently sits in 193rd place in the FIFA rankings, out of 210 teams. Among Portuguese-speaking nations or regions, only East-Timor ranks lower, in 198th.
This defeat marks Macau’s 13th consecutive official match without a win since June 2019, when Filipe Duarte secured a historic 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka in a World Cup qualifier.
However, Macau was later disqualified after its football association refused to play the second leg in Sri Lanka, following the deadly 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Macau was among the last teams to return to international competition, only resuming matches in March 2023 after nearly four years of inactivity due to strict “zero-COVID” policies.
The current squad, selected by coach Geofredo de Sousa Cheung, includes only one player based abroad, with Pereira being the sole exception.
Macau’s struggles have also been compounded by a recent decision by FIFA to restrict eligibility to players holding a Macau passport. This ruling excluded several players, including captain Nicholas Torrão and Filipe Duarte.
The policy remains a significant obstacle as Macau continues its search for a long-awaited return to winning ways.
