Three days after the defeat against England, the team, transformed by Murat Yakin, put on a mediocre performance in Zurich. Jordan Lotomba equalized, Captain Granit Xhaka ended his 100th cap with a grim look.
Granit Xhaka holds off Milot Rashica, eventual Kosovo goalscorer.
Substitute Edon Zhegrova lay down in the Swiss penalty area and threw up his hands. Zhegrova, still well known from FC Basel as a nimble whirlwind, didn’t get a penalty for Djibril Sow’s push. The referee whistled anyway – it was over in Zurich’s Letzigrund.
Much had been written about a match that the association had declared a “friendship test match”. And then it ended very amicably, when almost every player of one team said goodbye to every player of the other team with a hug or a pat on the shoulder. You know each other, you like each other, you respect each other.
Soft discord between the captain and the trainer Yakin
And yet there were slight discords, of all things about the Swiss Captain Granit Xhaka. It was Xhaka’s hundredth international match and the choice of the Republic of Kosovo, his family’s country, as a guest opponent for this milestone birthday was perhaps too much of a good thing. Xhaka fell well short of Saturday’s performance at London’s Wembley and was called off by coach Murat Yakin after 63 minutes.
Xhaka kicked a water bottle and sat down on the bench, looking grim. After the final whistle, there was a brief exchange of words between him and Yakin. In the TV interview, after a short pause, when asked what he had discussed with Yakin, he said: “That’s between us.” It was a special game, also for his family, he was “after a bad first half really got going”. Is there something bad going on between the captain and the trainer?
Before the test match against the #Kosovo became granite #Xhaka honored. An hour later he didn’t feel like celebrating anymore. @nati_sfv_asf #srfsport #srffootball #Soccer #SwissNati https://t.co/oKnVYsC686
— SRF Sport (@srfsport) March 29, 2022
“We don’t want to overcook this,” Yakin said. It is one of his tasks to control the minutes played by his players, “Granit had the most of all”, he likes players who always wanted to be on the pitch and said their opinion, “we are a team”. Yakin sent a Yakin smile afterwards and also found that he had seen two very interesting test matches, “only in terms of the results” one might have imagined it differently.
The 20,800 spectators in the Letzigrund had imagined the first half somewhat differently. The anticipation was great – but the fans were disappointed. It was like a party that just wouldn’t get going, even though it was advertised as a big party. This was also due to the line-up that Yakin had chosen: apart from Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, who left the pitch after 73 minutes, he had sent the second-class players onto the pitch.
The Kosovars got the opportunity to show their talent. They played well, Amir Rrahmani tested the Swiss goalie Gregor Kobel, Valon Berisha also. The Swiss couldn’t think of much; apart from Noah Okafor and Nico Elvedi, none of them made a recommendation for a future nomination for the starting lineup. This showed that the hierarchy among the Swiss is solid.
Steven Zuber’s bad pass initiates the 0:1
So it lasted until the 52nd minute when Steven Zuber made a bad bad pass. Zymer Bytiqi thanked and served Milot Rashica, who put Kosovo ahead. At the latest after this goal it was clear that the sympathies in the stadium were on the side of the guests. From then on, the game offered a little more entertainment, Jordan Lotomba scored to make it 1-1, but the Swiss again fell into a cozy atmosphere. So it remained a game that will not be remembered – except for the name of the affiche, “Friendship Test Game”.
Steven Zuber falls and complains that a penalty must be called. But the referee decides differently in the first half.
Xherdan Shaqiri also saw it that way, he gave compliments to the opponent and was of the opinion that “the Swiss were clearly the better team”. That was the view of the 102-time national player, who had shown a discreet performance. “I enjoyed this game, it was very relaxed and I was happy to play against my family’s country,” he said.
Switzerland 1-1 Kosovo (0-0).
Letzigrund, Zurich. – 20 800 spectators (sold out). – Referee: Buquet (FRA). – Goals: 52. Rashica 0-1. 61. Lotomba 1:1.
Switzerland: Kobel; Mbabu (62nd Rodriguez), Comert, Elvedi (62nd Frei), Lotomba; Sow, Xhaka (63rd Freuler); Okafor (81 Zeqiri), Shaqiri (75 Steffen), Zuber; Gavranovic (62′ Embolo).
Kosovo: Muric; Hadergjonaj, Rrahmani, Kryeziu, Vojvoda (91st Kastrati); Idrizi (Dresevic 68), Loshaj (Fazliji 76), Berisha (Muslija 76); Rashica (91st Domgjoni), Muriqi, Bytyqi (68th Zhegrova).
Remarks: Switzerland without Widmer and Akanji (both injured) and Sommer (Corona), Schär, Zakaria, Seferovic and Fassnacht (all injured). 100th international of Xhaka. Bookings: 29. Muqiri (foul). 92. Fazliji (foul).