Tearful Jorginho admits he'll be "haunted for life" by penalty misses after Italy exit

Italy midfielder Jorginho says he will be "haunted for life" by the penalty misses that ultimately led his nation to defeat in the World Cup play-offs against North Macedonia.

The Azzurri were stunned by their opponents on Thursday night in a smash-and-grab after Alexander Trajkovski scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for North Macedonia. It clinched what is likely to be their most important win in their history and they are now just one game away from their first-ever World Cup.

Italy had been one of the favourites to qualify for the first time since their woeful group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. But despite remaining unbeaten, Roberto Mancini’s side fell short, drawing four of their eight games and finishing behind Switzerland.

They drew both matches against their Swiss neighbours, with a 1-1 draw at home and goalless stalemate in Zurich. Jorginho missed crucial penalties in both matches and it is no surprise then that the Chelsea midfielder feels culpable for contributing to their exit.

“It hurts when I think about it, because I do still think about it and it will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he told RAI Sport, via Football Italia. “Stepping up there twice and not being able to help your team and your country is something that I will carry with me forever, and it weighs on me. People say we need to lift our heads and carry on, but it’s tough.”

Italy had 30 attempts on goal against North Macedonia as they dominated proceedings but could not find a way past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. And they paid the price for their profligacy when two minutes into stoppage time, Trajkovski popped up with an incredible winner to send the visitors into raptures.

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