Kosovo begin another Nations League campaign tonight (Thursday) as the “Dardanians” face the Republic of Ireland at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Prishtina. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45, with the match marking Kosovo’s start in League B of the Nations League.
Ireland arrive in Prishtina aiming to open the new campaign with a positive result. This will be the first competitive meeting between the two national teams, while Ireland have won each of their last two Nations League matches and will be looking to record three consecutive victories in the competition for the first time.
Kosovo, meanwhile, will have the advantage of playing at home at Fadil Vokrri. The Dardanians have lost only one of their last nine competitive home matches against European national teams, while they have conceded just three goals in their last seven competitive matches played in Prishtina.
Kosovo will also be without several important players. Amir Rrahmani and Florent Hadergjonaj are no longer part of the national team, while Florent Muslija and Elvis Rexhbeçaj are unavailable due to injuries.
Those absences have opened the door for new faces, with Erblin Osmani, Dion Kaçuri and Milot Avdyl appearing in Franco Foda’s squad.
Vedat Muriqi is expected to be one of Kosovo’s key players, particularly given his record in the competition. With 13 goals, Muriqi is among the leading scorers in the history of the Nations League.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson will also be dealing with four absences for the match, including Seamus Coleman and Nathan Collins.
With a packed stadium expected, a strong opponent standing in their way and three points potentially carrying significant weight in a group where Austria are considered the favorites, Kosovo begin their new Nations League mission tonight with hopes of making a strong start.
