Gibraltar defeated Armenia 1-0 for its first-ever competitive victory after 22 consecutive losses in a UEFA Nations League match in Yerevan that featured an embarrassing blunder over its national anthem.
A penalty in the 50th minute by captain Roy Chipolina gave Gibraltar the victory on October 13.
Arsenal standout and Armenian soccer star Henrikh Mkhitaryan played for the home team, which had 35 shots on goal.
Gibraltar, the tiny British overseas territory with a population of around 30,000, has recorded two victories in friendly matches, beating Malta in 2014 and Latvia in March, but never in a competitive match.
Just prior to the match, local organizers played the national anthem for the tiny country of Liechtenstein.
Officials for the Gibraltar football authority expressed disappointment with the blunder but said their Armenian counterparts had apologized for the mistake.
"The Gibraltar FA is very disappointed to note that, prior to tonight’s UEFA Nations League match versus Armenia, the national anthem of Liechtenstein was played," the Gibraltar FA said in a tweet.
"The Armenian FA has apologized to the Head of Delegation representing the Gibraltar FA in Yerevan for the oversight and an announcement has been made at the national stadium apologizing for the error," it added.
On October 16, Gibraltar will play Liechtenstein, which lost to Macedonia 4-1 on October 13.
