Haverfordwest County AFC is on the verge of a potentially challenging encounter as they advance in the UEFA Europa Conference League. After an intense match against KF Shkendija, which ended with a 3-2 victory on penalties, Tony Pennock’s team secured a 1-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium, bouncing back from a narrow first-leg defeat in North Macedonia.
Zac Jones emerged as the penalty hero once again, making two crucial saves, propelling the Bluebirds to a historic European advancement – their first ever. Now, they are set to face B36 Torshavn from the Faroe Islands in the second qualifying round. The first leg is scheduled for Thursday, July 27, while the return leg will take place in Cardiff on August 3.
As they prepare for the B36 Torshavn tie, the draw for the third qualifying round was conducted in Nyon. If Haverfordwest overcomes their Faroese opponents, they will confront either HNK Rijeka from Croatia or KF Dukagjini of Kosovo in the next round.
HNK Rijeka, who secured direct qualification to the second qualifying stage, finished fourth in the Croatian Hrvatska nogometna liga last season. They boast an impressive European competition record, having participated in every season since 2013-14. Their achievements include reaching the Champions League qualifying stages once and competing in the Europa League on eight occasions, notably defeating AC Milan at home during the 2017-18 season.
KF Dukagjini, like Haverfordwest, progressed from the first qualifying round. They emerged victorious against Europa FC from Gibraltar with a 5-3 aggregate scoreline, though the tie witnessed a total of five red cards across both legs.
Should Haverfordwest triumph against B36 Torshavn and their third-round opponent, the third qualifying round will be hosted in Cardiff on August 10, with the away leg scheduled for the following Thursday, August 17.
In other European competition news, Cymru Premier champions, The New Saints, were eliminated from the Champions League by Sweden’s BK Häcken. As a result, they will now face FC Swift Hesper from Luxembourg in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round. Should The New Saints progress, they will confront either FC Struga from North Macedonia or FK Budućnost Podgorica from Montenegro.
Regrettably, Wales’ other representatives in the Europa Conference League, Connah’s Quay Nomads and Penybont, were knocked out of the competition. Connah’s Quay Nomads faced Icelandic side KA Akureyri, while Penybont’s journey came to an end against FC Santa Coloma from Andorra.
