TETOVO, North Macedonia (Interstat) — Bashkimi Kumanovo defeated Shkendija 3-2 on Monday in a North Macedonian First League match at Ecolog Arena, overcoming a 2-0 deficit before a late strike decided the contest.

Fabrice Tamba opened the scoring in the fifth minute, giving the visitors an early lead. Emmanuel Avornyo doubled the advantage in the ninth minute, stunning the home crowd. Shkendija responded with two quick goals from Nickel Orr, who scored in the 35th and 38th minutes to level the score at 2-2 just before halftime.

Besart Ibraimi netted the decisive goal in the 65th minute, restoring Bashkimi Kumanovo’s lead and securing the victory for the traveling side.

The win improved Bashkimi Kumanovo’s record in First League play to 11 wins, 10 losses and seven draws. Across all competitions this season, they now stand at 13 wins, 11 losses and seven draws. Shkendija fell to 19 wins, four losses and five draws in league competition, and 27 wins, eight losses and six draws overall.

Shkendija had won both previous head-to-head meetings this season, including a 3-1 victory on Dec. 6, 2025, and a 2-1 result on Sept. 12, 2025. That prior success made Monday’s result a notable upset.

Bashkimi Kumanovo entered the match after a 3-0 loss to Struga on April 19, a 1-0 defeat at Sileks on April 11 and a 0-0 draw with AP Brera Strumica on April 7. Their recent form had been mixed, with only two wins in their previous five outings before Monday.

Shkendija came in on a strong run, having won four of their last five league matches. Their most recent result was a 3-2 victory against Shkendija — an apparent internal fixture error in the provided data — on April 22. They also recorded a 4-1 win over GFK Tikvesh Kavadarci on April 17 and a 6-0 thrashing of Shkupi on April 13.

Shkendija’s upcoming schedule includes a visit to Sileks on May 1, a home match against Struga on May 10, a game against AP Brera Strumica on May 17 and a trip to Vardar on May 24. Bashkimi Kumanovo will host Vardar on May 2, travel to KF Arsimi-1973 Chegrane on May 10, host FK Makedonija Gjorche Petrov on May 17 and visit Pelister on May 24.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Bashkimi Kumanovo 4, Shkendija 2. Interstat’s ELO system had given Shkendija a 91.40 percent probability to win.