In their final home fixture of the 2024/2025 Europa league phase, Latvian Champions FC RFS stunned Dutch giants Ajax with a 1-0 win, earning their first victory at this level to delight of jubilant home crowds at a sold out Daugava Stadium.
The game started with a surprising lack of offensive play from Ajax Amsterdam. The first shot on goal came in the 8th minute when Kenneth Taylor’s shot after a weak clearence from RFS defender went over the goal. A few minutes later, RFS had their first attempt after some good work from Kouadio and Odisharia. Savaļnieks took a long-range shot from 25-30 meters, but it also went over the goal.
As the first half progressed, the match became more open, with both teams finding themselves in dangerous positions, yet neither could convert their opportunities into goals. The first real chance came in the 30th minute when Bertrand Traore, who had faced RFS two years ago in a UEFA Conference League match while playing for Basaksehir, had a shot beautifully saved by goalkeeper Ondoa.
Ajax began to take control as the first half continued, but they struggled in the final third. Both teams headed to the dressing rooms with the scoreboard still reading 0-0 at halftime.
The second half began as many expected the first to unfold, with Ajax coming out aggressively. They quickly scored what seemed like the opening goal, but it was disallowed for offside, as the assistant referee raised the flag.
While RFS struggled to play out from the back, Ajax eagerly sought that first goal. In the 54th minute, a sure goal was saved by Jānis Ikaunieks as he cleared the ball from the goal line after a header by Šutalo had beaten Ondoa.
A couple of minutes later, Ondoa made another incredible double save, stopping shots from Traore and Brobbey.
Then, the unexpected happened. In the 78th minute, Adam Markhiev intercepted a loose pass in Ajax’s half. As he drove forward with the ball, he unleashed a long-range shot that beat veteran Ajax goalkeeper Pasveer. This goal sent shockwaves through the Ajax supporters while bringing joy to the rest of the stadium.
As the match continued, Ajax desperately tried to equalize and avoid embarrassment, but Fabrice Ondoa, the man of the match, kept the RFS goal secure.
When six minutes of added time were announced, Ajax’s desperation increased, but they could not find the net. As Jānis Ikaunieks cleared the ball, the referee blew the final whistle—RFS had accomplished a historic upset, securing a victory in the Europa League and becoming the first Latvian team to win a match in the European League phase.
RFS’s next game in the UEFA Europa League will be next week when they travel to Germany to face the Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv.
RFS – Ajax 1:0 (0:0)
Yellow cards: Adam Markhiev, Roberts Savaļnieks, Stefan Panič
RFS: Ondoa – Odisharia, Lipusček, Prenga, Njie, Savaļnieks – Panic, Markhiev, Zelenkovs – Kouadio (Lemajic 60′), Ikaunieks