Kosovo secured a 1-0 victory against Israel in a football match held in Pristina as part of the European Championship 2024 qualifiers.
This marked Israel’s first match since facing an attack by Hamas militants on October 7, triggering the conflict in Gaza. Originally scheduled for October 15, the match was postponed due to these events.
Ahead of the match on a challenging field amid rain and a reduced audience, a group of fans expressed disapproval during the playing of the Israeli national anthem.
Milot Rashica scored the sole goal of the match in the 41st minute. Despite the victory, Kosovo’s chances for qualification remain uncertain.
In the qualifiers’ first group, Israel ranks third behind Romania and Switzerland, having played two matches fewer. Israel has never qualified for a European Championship since joining UEFA in 1994 and now faces the challenge of playing four matches within a ten-day span to secure qualification.
Stringent security measures were in place during the match in Pristina. Earlier, police denied permission for a group planning a protest in support of the Palestinian cause.
During the day on Sunday, the Collective for Feminist Thought and Action displayed a large Palestinian flag with the inscription “Free Palestine” on the Grand Hotel building in Pristina’s center, alongside a Ukrainian flag. However, authorities swiftly removed it.
Diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel were established in early 2021, a few months after Israel recognized Kosovo’s independence during a high-level meeting between Kosovo and Serbia at the White House in September 2020, orchestrated by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kosovo, aligning itself with the United States and Guatemala, became the first European country to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Notably, Israel is the latest nation to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence, declared in February 2008 with backing from the United States and key Western European countries. However, this move faces opposition from Serbia and its ally, Russia.
