Both players are now available to play in Kosovo’s first ever competitive global fixture when they begin their campaign to qualify for the 2018 Russia World Cup against Finland in Turku on Monday – a game which Finland’s Kosovo-born midfielder Perparim Hetemaj has said he will not play in.
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“It is a dream coming true”, midfielder Alban Muja wrote on his Facebook page.
A lot of them play for Albania, who are mourning the decision of four players so far from their European Championships squad earlier this summer to play for Kosovo. Xhaka played in all of Switzerland’s matches – including their opening game against Albania, for whom his older brother Taulant plays.
Manchester United’s Adnan Januzaj, who is on loan at Sunderland, is another high-profile name, that previously expressed his desire to play for Kosovo, as he hesitated before playing his first senior global for Belgium.
Five of the six players confirmed by Federation Internationale de Football Association, including goalkeeper Samir Ujkani, were in the squad to play Finland in Turku.
Choosing to switch teams was an agonising decision according to Norway’s Valon Berisha, who has applied to play for Kosovo.
In the end, he chose to play for Kosovo while his brother Veton will stick with Norway, he said.
A somewhat self-interested statement said: “The SFV regrets the priority of the Kosovar directors has been in trying to recruit players for the next World Cup qualifiers instead of consolidating the foundations of their federation”.
Kosovo, will be outsiders to qualify from their World Cup group, with the country having a population of just over 2 million.
Bajram Jashanica, a defender for Albanians Skenderbeu Korce, has already made his debut for Kosovo in a friendly against Turkey, and said the long wait for Monday’s match was motivating the team.
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“We don’t know if six players will be available”, boss Albert Bunjaki said. “The players look very motivated … the only disturbing fact is [not knowing] if they will be allowed to play, which we are expecting to happen on Monday”. “We are ready and we can make it”, he told AFP.
