Kosovo players cleared to feature in first ever World Cup qualifier

Kosovo’s first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign has been given a lift by the news that five key players have been ruled eligible to face Finland on Monday evening by Fifa.

Milot Rashica, Herolind Shala, Amir Rrahmani, Alban Meha and Samir Ujkani, who have all previously been capped by Albania, were given clearance to switch nationality just under seven hours before Kosovo were scheduled to kick off in Turku. One other player, Valon Berisha, awaits confirmation that he can transfer from Norway but Kosovan sources are optimistic he will also be given permission later on Monday afternoon.

The news sparked emotional scenes in Turku’s Hamburger Bors hotel, where players and officials had gathered for much of the day amid growing tension. Ujkani, the team’s captain and goalkeeper, said he “went outside and cried … the relief came out of me” upon being given the green light. The squad’s focus now is on gathering themselves for a fixture they are confident of winning after a turbulent week of preparation in which the composition of the side has been unclear.

Kosovo were granted admission to Fifa in May, with players of Kosovan birth or heritage who had represented other countries invited to apply for a nationality switch to the governing body’s four-man players’ status committee.

The exact source of the administrative hold-ups has been unclear but there is little precedent for a European qualifier to be dogged by such uncertainty and questions will be asked of Fifa’s processes after a situation that descended into farce.

(Guardian service)