The Kosovo national team is just one step away from a historic achievement – qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. But to realize this dream, we must overcome the obstacle called Turkey.
In an exclusive interview with Telegrafi, former player, now renowned Turkish coach Hamza Hamzaoglu spoke about this match.
Hamzaoglu has a rich CV as a coach, but is especially remembered for the 2014/2015 season, when as coach of Galatasaray he won the championship, the Turkish Cup and the Super Cup within one season.
He is currently part of the Arab club Al Shabab as an assistant coach.
Hamza Hamzaoglu
Telegraph: How do you evaluate Turkey's performance in this World Cup qualifying cycle and which players carry the main burden of the national team?
"Turkey has made it this far successfully. They got past the hurdle of Romania, although it wasn't easy. Now they will play a play-off final against Kosovo for a place in the World Cup, and in my opinion, Turkey is the favorite for this match."
"If no unexpected incidents occur, I think Turkey will qualify. However, in football we always have to keep in mind that favorites do not always win. Kosovo is a disciplined, young and dynamic team, with many players playing in good European clubs, which will make Turkey's job difficult."
Telegraph: What is Turkey's main strength and which players bear the main burden?
"Turkey's main strength is the experience of the players, despite their young age. Another advantage is the fact that many of them have played together for a long time. They have many players with experience in high-level matches, including the Champions League and Europa League, as well as a lot of experience in the main European leagues."
Hamza Hamzaoglu and former Galatasaray striker Umut Bulut
"The team has adopted a style of play without a fixed striker according to Montella's philosophy, creating a balance between strong defense and effective attack. For Turkey, any match where the team can play according to its style is possible to win."
The players who carry the main burden are: Ugurcan (Cakir), Abdulkerim (Bardakci), Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler and Baris Alper. Among them, Ismail Yuksek has a great contribution in the midfield, facilitating the defense with his dedication and sacrifice.”
Telegrafi: How do you evaluate Kosovo as an opponent in the playoff final?
"When I was an assistant coach of the Turkish national team in 2014, we played a friendly match in Kosovo. Since then, Kosovo has made continuous progress and every year it becomes stronger, playing effective games against strong opponents. As a coach of Balkan origin, this makes me very happy."
"Kosovo has many players known to Turkey, among them Vedat Muriqi, goalkeeper Muric from Adana Demirspor, Hadergjonaj and Aliti from Alanyaspor, as well as Milot Rashica from Besiktas. Also, from Hoffenheim I have noticed Asllan and Hajdar, who have impressed me."
"One of Kosovo's main strengths is discipline and their coach, Franco Foda, who manages to maximize the players' performance. Against Turkey, Kosovo's main weapon will be precisely tactical discipline."
"In this match, the team that will remain patient, tactically disciplined and make fewer mistakes is more likely to win. I wish both teams success."
Special coverage of the event is provided by DFK Group , Daakonn Investments , Voom , Patos Kosova and 99esim ./ Telegraph /
