Changing nations off the table?: Kutesa: “I’m Swiss and want to help the national team”

Dereck Kutesa will be called up for the national team for the first time since March. A month ago he was threatening to change nations. That doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore.

Murat Yakin is causing one or two surprises with his squad for the relegation battle in the Nations League, nominating a newcomer in Miro Muheim and bringing back some players who have not played a role in the national team in recent months.

Dereck Kutesa is one of them. The 26-year-old from Geneva is having an outstanding season and leads the top scorers list in the Super League with 9 goals in 13 games. “I was of course very satisfied,” says Kutesa on SRF about his nomination.

The anger over his non-selection in October is gone. A month ago, Kutesa made it publicly clear that he was considering playing for his second home, Angola. «I wasn’t angry. Maybe I thought about it for two or three days, but I had to carry on, play and try to recommend myself,” he says now.

The disappointment has disappeared after the current lineup. «I’m Swiss. That’s why a move to Angola was never actually discussed at the beginning. Like every Swiss, my goal is to play for the national team,” said Kutesa.

“I want to play for the national team”

In March of this year, the Servette attacker was with the national team for the first time and was allowed to play 25 minutes in the friendly against Ireland. Because it wasn’t a competitive game, a change of nation would still have been possible. And Kutesa obviously considered that too.

When he wasn’t called up for the last team together despite good performances, he thought that there might be six or seven players who were ahead of him in his position. “I thought to myself: If they don’t need me, maybe I’ll have the opportunity to play for my second nation. But it’s now clear to me that I want to play for the national team and help the team.”

If Kutesa continues to take pictures like he did recently, nothing should stand in the way of further squads. And who knows, maybe he will even shoot Servette to their first championship title since 1999. With a win on Saturday evening against FC Zurich, the Geneva team would take over the lead of the table.

Kutesa’s declaration of war: “We play every game to win it. If someone asks me if I want to become a champion, I say: Yes!” blue Sport broadcasts the top game of the Super League live. Kick-off is at 8.30 p.m.

The Nati squad for the games against Serbia and Spain