[REVISION HISTORY]

Kosovo defeats Ireland despite player revolt

Updated 16 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-25 08:22 UTC → 2026-09-25 11:03 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Kosovo national football team’s UEFA Nations League campaign began with a victory despite ongoing internal turmoil. In their League B3 opener against the Republic of Ireland at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, Kosovo secured a 1-0 win. Despite the absence of senior players such as Amir Rrahmani, Edon Zhegrova, and Milot Rashica—who remain in protest against Football Federation of Kosovo president Agim Ademi—manager Franco Foda successfully fielded a squad led by new captain Vedat Muriqi. Muriqi proved decisive, scoring the match’s only goal in the 83rd ~~minute.~~ minute by heading the ball into the net following a rebound. Kosovo dominated much of the match, recording an expected goals (xG) of 2.74 compared to Ireland's 0.25. Following the goal, Muriqi and his teammates celebrated by displaying jerseys and white t-shirts with the message ‘Drejtësi për Çlirimtarët’ (Justice for the Liberators), a gesture of solidarity with former KLA leaders currently facing legal proceedings in The Hague. Muriqi dedicated the win to these former leaders and the KLA. Manager Franco Foda expressed satisfaction with the team’s defensive performance and composure. For Ireland, managed by Heimir Hallgrimsson, the match was a difficult start. Hallgrimsson conceded that Kosovo was the better side, stating, “It was a deserved victory for Kosovo, they were better than ~~us.”~~ us,” and noting that too many of his players were ‘off their game.’ Despite several saves from goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, Ireland was unable to overcome Kosovo's pressure in the second half. The encounter also carried historical weight, marking the first official meeting between the two nations and recalling a 1999 incident where the Irish government refused to allow a match against Yugoslavia due to the conflict in Kosovo. Kosovo is scheduled to face Austria in their next Nations League fixture.

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