Artsakh national football team

Artsakh

2012–2019
Shirt badge/Association crest
Association	Artsakh Football Association
Confederation	ConIFA
Head coach	Slavik Gabrielyan
Home stadium	Stepanakert Republican Stadium, Stepanakert (formerly)
FIFA code	NKR (not official)
File:Kit left arm.svg File:Kit body.svg File:Kit right arm.svg File:Kit shorts.svg File:Kit socks long.svg First colours File:Kit left arm.svg File:Kit body.svg File:Kit right arm.svg File:Kit shorts.svg File:Kit socks long.svg Second colours
First international
Abkhazia 1–1 Nagorno-Karabakh (Sukhumi, Abkhazia; 25 September 2012)
Last international
Padania 0–2 Artsakh (Stepanakert, Artsakh; 8 June 2019)
Biggest win
Nagorno-Karabakh 12–0 Darfur (Östersund, Sweden; 5 June 2014)
Biggest defeat
Chameria 4–1 Artsakh (Martuni, Artsakh; 3 June 2019)
CONIFA World Football Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2014)
Best result	9th
CONIFA European Football Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2019)
Best result	5th

The Artsakh national football team (Armenian: Արցախի ֆուտբոլի հավաքական), until 2017 known as the Nagorno-Karabakh national football team, was the national representative of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which was internationally unrecognized. Consequently, it was not a member of FIFA or UEFA and was therefore not eligible to enter the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship.

History

On 17 September 2012, they became a provisional member of the N.F.-Board and a week later played their first competitive match away against Abkhazia. The following month they played the return match at home against Abkhazia. Their first competitive competition was the ConIFA World Football Cup which took place in Östersund, Sweden. The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan failed to stop their participating in the competition after contacting ConIFA. ConIFA refused to revoke their invitation and Artsakh finished 9th overall after losses to Ellan Vannin, Nice and wins against Darfur and Sapmi. In 2019, Artsakh came back to CONIFA competitions by organising the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup, where they finished in the fifth position. In 2023, Artsakh will compete in the 2024 CONIFA World Cup Qualification. They were drawn in Group D with Abkhazia. Their match was originally to be scheduled on 10 July 2023. But the match was delayed by CONIFA to a later date. It was eventually cancelled due to rising tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan due to the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Artsakh, the government surrendered and announced the dissolution of all government institutions by the end of 2023. It's currently unknown if the team will regroup again. However, Artsakh remains a listed member of CONIFA and was listed as an active member at the 2024 AGM.

International record

At CONIFA World Football Cup

Year	Position	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
2014	9th	4	2	0	2	19	5
2016	did not participate
2018
2024
Total		4	2	0	2	19	5

At CONIFA European Football Cup

Year	Position	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA
2015	did not enter
2017
2019	5th	5	3	1	1	9	8
2021	cancelled
2023	did not enter
Total		5	3	1	1	9	8

Current squad

The following 23 players were called up to the squad for the 2019 CONIFA European Football Cup.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Erik Khachatryan	(1998-01-05)5 January 1998 (aged 21)
2	4FW	Marat Karapetyan	(1991-05-17)17 May 1991 (aged 28)
3	2DF	Artur Abrahamyan	(1997-05-02)2 May 1997 (aged 22)
4	2DF	Armen Abrahamyan	(1997-08-25)25 August 1997 (aged 21)
5	2DF	Gevorg Poghosyan	(1986-08-26)26 August 1986 (aged 32)			Free agent
6	2DF	Aram Kostandyan	(1989-06-20)20 June 1989 (aged 29)
7	3MF	Gor Poghosyan	(1988-06-11)11 June 1988 (aged 30)			FC Ararat Yerevan
8	3MF	Mher Mkrtumyan	(1986-07-03)3 July 1986 (aged 32)
9	4FW	Levon Grigoryan	(1989-09-23)23 September 1989 (aged 29)
10	3MF	Arsen Sargsyan	(1983-03-08)8 March 1983 (aged 36)
11	4FW	Karen Shakhkeldyan	(1993-11-08)8 November 1993 (aged 25)			Free agent
12	1GK	Sergey Asryan	(1993-01-02)2 January 1993 (aged 26)
13	3MF	Tigran Hambardzumyan	(1997-04-02)2 April 1997 (aged 22)
14	3MF	Khoren Veranyan	(1985-09-04)4 September 1985 (aged 33)			Shirak SC
15	3MF	Dmitri Malyaka	(1990-01-15)15 January 1990 (aged 29)			Free agent
16	2DF	Orbeli Hambardzumyan	(1996-03-26)26 March 1996 (aged 23)			FC Ararat Yerevan
17	2DF	Vadim Hayriyan	(1997-04-06)6 April 1997 (aged 22)			Artsakh FC
18	3MF	Artyom Gevorkyan	(1993-05-21)21 May 1993 (aged 26)			Shirak SC
19	3MF	Narek Danielyan	(1990-09-23)23 September 1990 (aged 28)
20	4FW	Norik Mkrtchyan	(1997-03-09)9 March 1997 (aged 22)			Free agent
21	2DF	Davit Harutyunyan	(1994-12-14)14 December 1994 (aged 24)			Free agent
22	1GK	Stepan Ghazaryan	(1985-01-11)11 January 1985 (aged 34)			FC Banants
23	4FW	Davit Ghandilyan	(1993-06-04)4 June 1993 (aged 25)			Shirak SC

Matches played

Abkhazia v Nagorno-Karabakh

25 September 2012 Friendly	Abkhazia	1–1	Nagorno-Karabakh	Sukhumi
	Gublia File:Soccerball shade.svg 75'	Report	Barikyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 80'	Stadium: Republican Stadium Referee: Serhiy Streletskyi (Ukraine)

Nagorno-Karabakh v Abkhazia

21 October 2012 Friendly	Nagorno-Karabakh	3–0	Abkhazia	Stepanakert
		Report		Stadium: Stepanakert Republican Stadium

Ellan Vannin v Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh v County of Nice

Darfur v Nagorno-Karabakh

5 June 2014 2014 ConIFA WC PR1	Darfur	0–12	Nagorno-Karabakh	Östersund
13:00			Nranyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 7', 24', 45', 75' Gyozalyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 22', 39', 54', 74' Grigoryan File:Soccerball shade.svg 33', 42' Karapetyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 69' Bareghamyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+2'	Stadium: Jämtkraft Arena

Sápmi v Nagorno-Karabakh

Artsakh v Sápmi

2 June 2019 2019 ConIFA EC GS	Artsakh	3–2	Sápmi	Stepanakert
16:00	Mkrtchyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 3' Sargsyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 43' Malyaka File:Soccerball shade.svg 82'	Report	Zakrisson File:Soccerball shade.svg 24' Edvardsen File:Soccerball shade.svg 83'	Stadium: Stepanakert Republican Stadium Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Dmitrii Zhukov

Chameria v Artsakh

4 June 2019 2019 ConIFA EC GS	Chameria	4–1	Artsakh	Martuni
18:00	Çema File:Soccerball shade.svg 58', 90+3' Mziu File:Soccerball shade.svg 85' Gjoka File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+5'	Report	Sargsyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 83'	Stadium: Avakyan Arena Attendance: 1,080 Referee: Ivan rkalj

Artsakh v Abkhazia

4 June 2019 2019 ConIFA EC GS	Artsakh	1–1	Abkhazia	Martuni
18:00	Mkrtchyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 33'	Report	Logua File:Soccerball shade.svg 8'	Stadium: Avakyan Arena Attendance: 1,080 Referee: Dmitrii Zhukov

Artsakh v Székely Land

6 June 2019 2019 ConIFA EC PR1	Artsakh	2–1	Székely Land	Martuni
17:00	Sargsyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 76' (pen.) Danielyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+4'	Report	Vékás File:Soccerball shade.svg 62'	Stadium: Avakyan Arena Attendance: 1,080 Referee: Dmitrii Zhukov

Padania v Artsakh

8 June 2019 2019 ConIFA EC PR2	Padania	0–2	Artsakh	Stepanakert
11:00			Sargsyan File:Soccerball shade.svg 58' Malyaka File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+6'	Stadium: Stepanakert Republican Stadium Attendance: 4,400 Referee: Ivan Mrkalj

See also

• Republic of Artsakh
• Stepan Shahumyan Republican Stadium