Virslīga leaders Riga FC have reached the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League following a dramatic 3-3 draw away to Georgian side Dila Gori. The result secured Riga’s progression with a 5-4 aggregate victory, capped by a sensational stoppage-time winner from super-sub Antonijs Černomordijs.
In the first leg in Riga, the Latvian side had looked the more dangerous throughout but had to settle for a narrow 2-1 win. Head coach Adrian Gul’a kept faith in his starting lineup from last week’s clash at Skonto Stadium, naming an unchanged eleven for the return leg in Gori.
Dila Gori came out strong in front of their home crowd and wasted little time equalizing the tie. In the 15th minute, Joao Araujo took advantage of poor marking in Riga’s box to head home from a corner, making it 1–0 and leveling the aggregate score at 2-2.
Just before halftime, Riga were awarded a penalty after midfielder Orlando Galo was kicked in the leg in the area during a scramble. Reginaldo Ramires calmly converted from the spot, restoring Riga’s aggregate lead at a crucial moment.
The second half brought more twists. After a missed chance by Riga’s Iago Siqueira, Dila Gori hit back on the counter. A cross from Rukhadze was met by Cyril Edudzi, whose effort struck the crossbar. The ball then bounced fortuitously off teammate Deo Bassing and into the net – another equalizer on aggregate.
But Riga showed resilience once again. Full-back Raivis Andris Jurkovskis cut inside and switched play to Joao Grimaldo, whose precise cross was met by Baba Musah. The defender rose highest to head home, putting Riga back in the driver’s seat.
Still, the drama wasn’t over. Dila Gori, pushed on by their vocal supporters, scored yet again through substitute Blankson Anoff, who finished from a Tedo Kikabidze cross, leveling the aggregate at 4-4.
It wasn’t until the 88th minute that coach Gul’a made his first changes – bringing on Černomordijs, Marko Regža, and Emīls Birka. The substitutions paid off spectacularly. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Meissa Diop won a dangerous free-kick out wide. El Bachir Ngom delivered a pinpoint cross, and Černomordijs rose to head the ball into the net, breaking Dila Gori hearts and sending Riga through.
Dila Gori pushed forward desperately in the dying seconds, but Riga held firm to seal a dramatic and hard-fought qualification. They now await their next opponents in the third qualifying round—either Beitar Jerusalem of Israel or Sutjeska of Montenegro.
Dila Gori vs Riga FC – 3:3 (1:1)
Goals: Araujo 15′, Bassinga 51′, Anoff 81′ | Ramires 45+7 (11 M), Musah 64′, Černomordijs 90+6′
DIL: Kereselidze, Rukhadze (Ilori 90’+4), Etou, Araujo, Chabradze (Kikabidze 27′), Konte, Andronikashvili, Parulava – Shekiladze (Anoff 72′), Bassinga, Edudzi
RIG: Zviedris, Jurkovskis, Ngom, Musah (Černomordijs 88′), Toņiševs, Ankrah, Diop, Grimaldo (Birka 88′), Galo, Siqueira, Ramires (Regža 88′)
