Ipswich Town’s Arijanet Muric showcased his skills by keeping a clean sheet for Kosovo, leading them to a 1-0 victory over Lithuania in a tense match held in Pristina.
With their hopes of automatic promotion hanging in the balance after their previous fixture against Romania was marred by racial abuse and subsequently suspended, Franco Foda’s men were eager to secure a positive result. Understanding the need to outdo their rivals, who were competing against Cyprus at home, Kosovo seized an early advantage. Muharrem Jashari netted the opening goal just five minutes in but received his marching orders just before the halftime whistle, leaving Kosovo to navigate the remainder of the match with ten men.
Despite the odds, the Dardanians held firm, with Muric recording four crucial saves during his 90-minute stint, marking his 42nd cap. However, Romania’s convincing 3-1 victory over Cyprus means Kosovo will now face a challenging playoff if they are to ascend to Nations League C.
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In another match, Liam Delap made his mark for England Under-21s, coming off the bench in the 56th minute to replace former Town loanee Dane Scarlett during a hard-fought 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Almere. Scarlett had initially put Ben Futcher’s squad in front just five minutes into the clash, but the Dutch dominated thereafter, with FC Groningen’s Thom van Bergen equalizing late in the game at the Yanmar Stadium.
This friendly match saw Delap earn his 10th cap, while teammate Omari Hutchinson remained sidelined, having also missed the previous encounter against Spain U21.
Meanwhile, Scottish aspirations were kept alive as Cieran Slicker, an unused substitute, watched his team pull off a stunning late victory over Poland in Nations League A. Under the guidance of Steve Clarke, Scotland knew their survival depended on winning both of their fixtures this month. They laid the groundwork with a victory over Croatia, while Poland faced a heavy defeat at the hands of Portugal.
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This set the stage for a climactic encounter in Warsaw, where John McGinn of Aston Villa put Scotland ahead in the third minute. Poland equalized through Kamil Piatkowski, putting Scotland’s survival hopes on the line. However, Andrew Robertson, the captain, delivered a late strike in the third minute of stoppage time, securing Poland’s relegation to Nations League B and ensuring Scotland will now have to navigate a playoff to maintain their status.
Although Slicker is yet to see action for the senior Scotland team, this month marks his first call-up following the injury to Angus Gunn.
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