Latvia women's national football team

Latvia
Nickname(s)	Sarkanbaltsarkanie; (Red-white-red)
Association	Latvijas Futbola federācija
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Romāns Kvačovs
FIFA code	LVA
First colours	Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	119 (25 August 2023)[1]
Highest	61 (December 2004 – March 2005; December 2005 – May 2006)
Lowest	119 (October – December 2022; June – August 2023)
First international
	Sweden 9–0 Latvia ; (Nynäshamn; Sweden 18 August 1993)
Biggest win
	Latvia 6–0 Lebanon ; (Geroskipou, Cyprus; 13 March 2015)
Biggest defeat
	England 20–0 Latvia ; (Doncaster, England; 30 November 2021)
Website	lff.lv/izlases/sieviesu-izlases/nacionala-sieviesu-izlase/

The Latvia women's national football team (Latvian: Latvijas sieviešu futbola izlase) represents Latvia in international football and is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia. They have never qualified for the major tournament.

Latvia, alongside their Baltic rivals, Lithuania and Estonia, is also participating in the local sub-regional Women's Baltic Cup, which takes place every year. Latvia has won this tournament five times, the first time in 1997. The next moment of triumph had to wait until 2011, and in 2017, 2018 and 2019 Latvia won the trophy three years in a row.

History

In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), women's football was not a recognized sport – in 1972, the Sports Committee of the USSR even banned women's football competitions. That is why women played the first official football matches in Latvia only in 1989, when the first women's team "Latvija" was created. The players were mostly invited from other sports, so the football players had good physical preparation, and several players from Lithuania were also invited to help. In 1990, the team was renamed to RAF Jelgava, participating in the first championship of the highest league of the USSR, where they took eighth place in the competition of 24 teams. RAF played one more season in the top league of the USSR, but another team from Latvia – Ogres "Fortūna" – competed in the first league of the USSR. After the collapse of the USSR, the "RAF" professional team disbanded, and thus women's football in Latvia continued to exist only at the amateur level.[2]

On 18 August 1993, The Latvian women's national team made its debut and played its first international match in the European Championship qualification tournament, losing in the first match away to Sweden, which was already one of the most important women's football countries in the world at the time.[3]

After the first qualifying tournament, Latvia did not participate anymore in European Championship qualifying tournaments until 2006. Changes had already been introduced in the selection system, by holding the previous preliminary tournament for the weakest European national teams before the qualification, which the Latvian national team never managed to overcome, which meant that Latvia did not have the opportunity to meet the best national women's football teams in Europe for a long time.[4]

After participating in the UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying[5] and withdrew from all qualification until the qualification for the European Championships in 2009. Latvia's record in international qualification games is poor. In their competitive games, Latvia lost their first two games, against Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina by three goals, before losing by one goal to Armenia.[6] Mini-tournaments after the qualification disaster proved no better for Latvia. Finishing last, in December 2008, Latvia lost 0–3 to Croatia and 0–5 to Turkey.[7]

The first victory

Latvia won its first official match on 5 March 2011 over Lithuania in the qualifying 2013 European Championship preliminary round with a lone goal by Jūlija Sokolova.[8][9] However, Latvia lost the other two games against Luxembourg and Macedonia so it didn't go through.

First World Cup qualification

In 2013, the Latvian women's national team took part in the World Cup qualification tournament for the first time, in the first round of the preliminaries, they drew 0:0 with Luxembourg in their debut match,[10] but then lost 0–2 to Albania and Malta. After four years, the Latvian women's national team won the first victory in the World Cup selection, defeating Estonia 4–0 in the preliminaries, but it was not enough to enter the basic qualification tournament, as the first place in the group was won by the national team of Kazakhstan, with whom Latvian football players played a draw 2–2.

Modern times

The Latvian women's football team won its first World Cup qualification victory against Luxembourg.[11] Latvia won its first World Cup qualification victory on 24 June 2022 over Lithuania in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D with a lone goal by Nelle Treimane.

On November 30, 2021, the Latvian national team lost to England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D match with 20–0. After the game, this game received a huge amount of attention, shining a light on the shortcomings of the qualifiers and European women qualifying system. Several experts emphasized that such a game should not have happened. This game again sparked discussions about going back to pre-qualification.[12]

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

Win Draw Lose Fixture

2023

6 April BFU International Women's Cup 2023 SF	Kosovo	1–0	Latvia	Sofia, Bulgaria
11:00 UTC+2	Halilaj 27'	Report		Stadium: Boyana Sports Complex

10 April BFU International Women's Cup 2023 3rd place	Lithuania	2–1	Latvia	Sofia, Bulgaria
10:00 UTC+2	Lazdauskaitė 59' Galkina 70'	Report	Suvitra 86'	Stadium: Boyana Sports Complex

14 July Friendly	Latvia	1–1	Azerbaijan	Riga, Latvia
18:00 UTC+2	Alina Dorofeeva 32'	Report	Karlīna Miksone 44'	Stadium: Jānis Skredelis' stadium Attendance: 295 Referee: Jeļena Jermolajeva

17 July Friendly	Latvia	1–1	Azerbaijan	Riga, Latvia
18:00 UTC+2	Karlīna Miksone 49'	Report	Sevinj Jafarzade 36'	Stadium: LNK Sporta Parks Attendance: 213 Referee: Jeļena Jermolajeva

22 September 2023 (2023-09-22) Nations League C	Latvia	0–1	Malta	Jūrmala, Latvia
		Report	Bugeja 83'	Stadium: Sloka Stadium Referee: Jana Van Laere (Belgium)

26 September UEFA Women's Nations League	Andorra	0–4	Latvia	Andorra la Vella, Andorra
18:00 UTC+2		Report	Miksone 15', 26', 45+4' Zaičikova 36'	Stadium: Estadi Nacional Referee: Nanna Løf Andersen (Denmark)

27 October UEFA Women's Nations League	Latvia	5–0	Moldova	Jelgava, Latvia
18:00 UTC+2	Suvitra 34', 39' Ševcova 63' Poļuhoviča 74', 76'	Report		Stadium: Zemgale Olympic Center Referee: Eirini Pingiou (Greece)

31 October UEFA Women's Nations League	Moldova	v	Latvia
18:00 UTC+2

1 December UEFA Women's Nations League	Latvia	v	Andorra
18:00 UTC+2

5 December UEFA Women's Nations League	Malta	v	Latvia
18:00 UTC+2

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

As of 13 July 2023

Role	Name
Head Coach	Romāns Kvačovs
Assistant coach	Anna Poņatovska
Assistant coach	Edgars Klibus
Goalkeeping coach	Marks Bogdanovs
Physiotherapist	Mārtiņš Kacens
Team doctor	Anastasija Oprisņaka
Team manager	Marta Lielause

Manager history

Viktors Lūkins (1992–1996)
Grigorijs Rožkovs (1996–2003)
Agris Bandolis (2003–2010)[13]
Didzis Matīss (2010–2021)
Romāns Kvačovs (2021–present)[14]

Players

Current squad

The following players have been called up for the 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League C matches against Malta and Andorra on 22 and 26 September 2023.[15]

Caps and goals are correct as of 14 September 2023.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
12	1GK	Enija Anna Vaivode	(1993-12-28) 28 December 1993	15	0	P 18 IK
1	1GK	Sofija Ņesterova	(2001-08-06) 6 August 2001	5	0	SFK Rīga
	1GK	Alīna Skļemenova	(2004-03-15) 15 March 2004	1	0	SK Super Nova

7	2DF	Paula Liniņa	(2001-05-06) 6 May 2001	11	0	FS Metta (women)
5	2DF	Anna Flakse	(1999-01-31) 31 January 1999	29	0	SFK Rīga
3	2DF	Kristīne Evelīna Lodziņa	(1998-08-28) 28 August 1998	1	0	FS Metta (women)
2	2DF	Ligita Tumāne	(1996-05-01) 1 May 1996	25	0	ASD Spezia
4	2DF	Selga Penelope Vitmore	(2002-03-10) 10 March 2002	2	0	SK Super Nova
20	2DF	Sofija Garanča	(2004-05-28) 28 May 2004	6	0	Rēzeknes BJSS
10	2DF	Anastasija Ročāne	(1992-06-07) 7 June 1992	50	1	Czarni Sosnowiec
	2DF	Sofija Gergeležiu	(2003-08-31) 31 August 2003	14	0	SFK Rīga

14	3MF	Olga Ševcova	(1992-11-26) 26 November 1992	48	9	ÍBV
19	3MF	Karlīna Miksone (captain)	(2000-03-21) 21 March 2000	54	8	Czarni Sosnowiec
8	3MF	Viktorija Zaičikova	(2000-08-04) 4 August 2000	38	3	ÍBV
16	3MF	Anna Kristīne Gornela	(1997-09-09) 9 September 1997	6	3	ŽNK Mura
6	3MF	Taisija Smirnova	(2003-09-24) 24 September 2003	7	0	Liepājas FS
	3MF	Sandra Voitāne	(1999-05-20) 20 May 1999	55	14	Keflavík ÍF
	3MF	Katrīna Daņilova	(2004-05-10) 10 May 2004	3	1	FS Metta (women)
18	3MF	Anna Marija Valaka	(1999-11-14) 14 November 1999	11	0	SFK Rīga
11	3MF	Diāna Suvitra	(2002-01-09) 9 January 2002	1	1	SFK Rīga
15	3MF	Amēlija Lipšāne	(2005-03-31) 31 March 2005	0	0	FS Metta (women)

9	3MF	Anastasija Poļuhoviča	(2005-03-06) 6 March 2005	7	1	SFK Rīga
17	3MF	Signija Šenberga	(2003-03-13) 13 March 2003	7	0	FS Metta (women)

Recent call ups

The following players have been called up to the Latvia squad in the past 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up

DF	Kristiāna Zacmane	(1999-05-20) 20 May 1999	3	0	FK Auda	v. Lithuania, 10 April 2023
DF	Ērika Gricienko	(2002-11-30) 30 November 2002	3	0	SFK Rīga	v. Lithuania, 10 April 2023
DF	Dana Ņikitina	(1999-03-25) 25 March 1999	3	0	SFK Rīga	v. Lithuania, 10 April 2023
DF	Nikola Brahmane	(1998-09-10) 10 September 1998	4	0	FK Auda	v. Lithuania, 10 April 2023

MF	Viktorija Vengreviča	(1997-08-06) 6 August 1997	2	0	BFC Daugavpils	v. Lithuania, 10 April 2023
MF	Nelle Treimane	(2003-11-12) 12 November 2003	12	1	FS Metta (women)	v. Lithuania, 9 October 2022

FW	Renāte Fedotova	(1996-12-12) 12 December 1996	35	13	FK Saned	v. Lithuania, 9 October 2022
FW	Tatjana Baličeva	(1998-04-06) 6 April 1998	26	0	SFK Rīga	v. Lithuania, 9 October 2022
FW	Monika Štube	(1999-09-15) 15 September 1999	2	0	Bradford City	v. Azerbaijan, 17 July 2023
FW	Emīlija Sofija Druviņa	(2003-08-15) 15 August 2003	7	0	FS Metta (women)	v. Azerbaijan, 17 July 2023

Records

*Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 19 August 2021.

Most capped players

#	Player	Year(s)	Caps

Top goalscorers

#	Player	Year(s)	Goals	Caps

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

Year	Result	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD
FIFA Women's World Cup record									Qualification record
1991	Did not exist								Did not exist
1995	Did not qualify								UEFA Euro 1995
1999	Did not enter								Did not enter
2003
2007
2011
2015	Did not qualify								3	0	1	2	0	4	–4
2019									3	1	2	0	7	3	+4
2023									10	1	0	9	8	63	–55
2027	To be determined								To be determined
Total	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	16	2	3	11	15	70	0

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

UEFA Women's Championship

Year	Result	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
UEFA Women's Championship record								Qualifying record
1984 to 1993	Did not exist							Did not exist
1995	Did not qualify							4	0	0	4	1	18
1997	Did not enter							Did not enter
2001
2005
2009	Did not qualify							3	0	0	3	1	8
2013								3	1	0	2	1	3
2017								3	1	1	1	5	5
2022								8	0	0	8	2	39
2025	To be determined							To be determined
Total	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	21	2	1	18	10	73