Kosovo convincingly defeated Andorra in Pristina and ended the June window with a clean victory
The Kosovo national football team defeated Andorra 3:0 in an international friendly match played on 7 June 2026 at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina. According to UEFA data and match reports, the encounter was part of the preparation programme ahead of the autumn commitments in the UEFA Nations League, and Kosovo used it to return to a winning rhythm after previous setbacks. The team of head coach Franco Foda had significantly more initiative, kept Andorra under pressure for longer periods and managed to keep a clean sheet until the end of the match. The final 3:0 confirms the difference in quality and intensity, but also the importance of a match in which the Kosovo coaching staff could test part of the wider squad. Andorra was in a subordinate position in Pristina, but for the visiting national team the encounter had value as a test against an opponent that has built a considerably more competitive profile in European football in recent years.
Early caution, then taking full control
The first half did not immediately bring a goal fest, but it clearly showed the direction in which the match would develop. Kosovo tried from the start to impose its rhythm through the middle of the pitch and wide attacking positions, while Andorra mostly relied on a dense shape behind the ball and attempts to slow down the home side’s possession. According to Koha.net’s report, Kosovo created noticeably more chances than its opponent and gained the lead in the closing stages of the first half. The first goal came in the 41st minute after a set piece taken by Fisnik Asllani: according to the same report, the ball hit the post and, after the rebound, ended up in the net off the body of Andorran goalkeeper Iker Álvarez. Global Sports Archive also records the first goal in the 41st minute in its timeline, noting that the teams went into the break with Kosovo holding a minimal 1:0 lead.
That goal was important because it opened up a match in which Andorra had until then managed to maintain uncertainty in the scoreline, although not balance in the play. After taking the lead, Kosovo gained additional confidence, while the visitors had to leave their exclusively defensive framework, which opened more space between the lines for the home team. In that balance of forces, the attackers in Foda’s team especially came to the fore, as did players who arrived into the final third from deeper positions. The records of official and specialised platforms show that Kosovo played with a mixed line-up, which gives the victory additional weight in the context of squad depth. Foda’s team did not look like a group of players merely going through the motions in a friendly, but like a side wanting to confirm the hierarchy against a nominally weaker opponent.
Rrahmani from the penalty spot, Matoshi for the final 3:0
The continuation very quickly confirmed the home side’s superiority. Albion Rrahmani increased the lead to 2:0 in the 52nd minute, according to Koha.net’s report, from a penalty that he himself had won. That goal removed most of the tension from the scoreline and allowed Kosovo to manage the match more calmly, while Andorra found it increasingly difficult to get out of its own half. In such a match, Rrahmani once again confirmed the importance of his role in attack, especially in situations in which Kosovo needs end product after periods of territorial dominance. In friendly matches, the result is not the only criterion, but the way Kosovo reached its second goal showed that the home team also had the individual ability to force mistakes in dangerous areas.
The third goal was scored by Valmir Matoshi in the closing stages of the encounter, and Koha.net states that the midfielder scored with a header from close range and that it was his first goal for the Kosovo national team. Global Sports Archive records Matoshi’s goal in the 78th minute, with an assist from Ron Raçi, while Koha.net states the 77th minute in the text and the 78th minute in the live record, which points to the usual difference between the official match record and the moment of publication during the match. In any case, the third goal was confirmation of dominance and a symbolically important moment for a player who, according to the report, was playing only his second match for Kosovo, and his first in front of the crowd in Pristina. The late goal rounded off an evening in which the scoreline developed gradually, without dramatic swings, but with a clear sense that Kosovo controlled the key phases. Andorra remained goalless until the end, while the home defence preserved a clean sheet, which is important for Foda from both a psychological and tactical perspective.
Foda used the match for a wider squad
According to UEFA’s data on the player list, Kosovo had in its squad a combination of more experienced internationals and players who are still building their status in the national team. In the starting line-up, according to Global Sports Archive, were Visar Bekaj, Dion Gallapeni, Albian Hajdari, Ilir Krasniqi, Leon Avdullahu, Mërgim Vojvoda, Lindon Emërllahu, Muharrem Jashari, Baton Zabergja, Albion Rrahmani and Fisnik Asllani. That line-up shows that Foda also used the match to distribute minutes, especially because some standard names were not in the team or were not in the foreground. Koha.net states that Kosovo had many absences and that most of the usual starters did not play, but that even such a team was dominant against Andorra. In that context, the 3:0 result does not represent only a routine victory, but also a signal that Kosovo has useful alternatives for the upcoming competitive matches.
During the match, Foda turned to numerous substitutions, and according to Koha.net’s report he made eight in total. Among the players who were given a chance were, according to the Global Sports Archive timeline, Ermal Krasniqi, Veldin Hodža, Vesel Demaku, Valmir Matoshi, Ron Raçi, Betim Fazliji, Dardan Shabanhaxhaj and Elvis Rexhbecaj. The debut of Dardan Shabanhaxhaj was especially recorded, which is one of the more important internal effects of a friendly match. Such encounters often serve precisely to test players who can broaden the competition, and a victory without conceding a goal gives the head coach more room to assess positively the contribution of those who are not standard key players. For a national team entering a more demanding tier of the Nations League, squad depth can be decisive, especially when the schedule in September, October and November brings several matches in short intervals.
Andorra without an answer to the home side’s intensity
Andorra arrived in Pristina after a 2:0 victory over Liechtenstein, which, according to the report by the Spanish outlet AS, was the second part of its June international cycle. Against Kosovo, however, the visiting team failed to carry over that positive momentum. According to UEFA’s player list, Andorra is led by Koldo Álvarez, and the squad included players such as Iker Álvarez, Marc Vales, Jordi Aláez, Ricardo Fernández, Guillaume Lopez and other internationals who in recent years have formed the backbone of the team. Andorra tried to remain compact and reduce the space between the back line and midfield line, but Kosovo gradually found ways to speed up its attacks and reach the final phase. After the second goal, the visitors found themselves in a situation in which they had to open up more space, but they did not have enough precision or continuity to threaten the home goal more seriously.
In disciplinary and rhythm terms, the match was demanding for the Andorran team because it defended for a long time without longer phases of possession. Global Sports Archive records several cautions for Andorran players, among them Gerard Sola, Eric de las Heras, Pau Babot and Hugo Silva, which reflects the difficulty of a match in which the visiting defence often had to stop Kosovo attacks in unfavourable situations. Kosovo, on the other hand, maintained its structure even after a series of substitutions, which is an important indicator for the head coach. Even when the rhythm naturally dropped in the second half, the home side remained organised enough not to allow Andorra back into the match. The final 3:0 is therefore a realistic reflection of the balance of power on the pitch, and not only the consequence of a few isolated moments of individual quality.
A victory important after two defeats
According to Koha.net, Kosovo ended a run of two defeats with this match. The same source states that Kosovo lost 1:0 to Turkey on 31 March in the play-off final, and 2:1 to Czechia on 31 May in a friendly encounter. In that context, the clash with Andorra was not merely a formal test, but also an opportunity to improve the impression, stabilise the defence and restore confidence at the end of the June cycle. For national teams like Kosovo, which are trying to make progress in the European order, friendly matches against lower-ranked opponents carry a different kind of pressure: victory is expected, but the performance must show progress and seriousness. Kosovo completed that task without major shocks, with three goals and without conceding.
The result also has broader significance because it was achieved at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium, symbolically the most important football venue in Pristina. UEFA states in its match data that the encounter was played at that stadium, with good weather and pitch conditions, which enabled a match in which the quality of the surface suited the team that wanted to play more actively. In front of its home crowd, Kosovo got what it needed: a convincing victory, minutes for a larger number of players and a positive result before the longer break until the next competitive tests. The clean sheet is especially important because in Nations League matches the balance between attacking ambition and defensive security is often the decisive factor. Although Andorra is not an opponent from the top European tier, the way Kosovo closed out the match can be considered a useful test of concentration.
Looking toward the Nations League
UEFA has announced that the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League will be played from 24 September to 17 November 2026, and Kosovo has been placed in Group B3 with Israel, Austria and the Republic of Ireland. According to UEFA’s schedule, Kosovo will open the competition on 24 September with a home match against the Republic of Ireland, and then on 27 September it will visit Austria. In October, it faces an away match against Israel and a home clash with Austria, while in November fixtures against Israel in Pristina and the Republic of Ireland away are scheduled. This is a significantly more demanding competitive framework than the friendly match with Andorra, but precisely for that reason Foda must use June to seek solutions for rotation, balance and different tactical scenarios. The victory against Andorra by itself does not guarantee success in Group B3, but it offers a stable starting point for the continuation of preparations.
Andorra will play in League D in the same edition of the Nations League, in Group D1 with Gibraltar and Malta, according to UEFA’s draw. For that national team, the priority will be competitive matches against opponents closer to its own results level, and the encounter with Kosovo can serve as a warning of what happens when the opponent has more speed, more individual quality and better control of the rhythm. Kosovo, meanwhile, is entering a period in which confirmation of progress is expected from it. Success in League B will require more than convincing victories in friendly encounters, but the match in Pristina showed that Foda’s team has enough depth and energy for more serious challenges. After the 3:0 against Andorra, the most important gain is not only the result, but the impression that Kosovo, in a controlled match, received useful answers before the autumn competitive cycle.
Sources:
- Football Federation of Kosovo – official announcement on Kosovo’s convincing victory over Andorra (link)
- UEFA – official information on the Kosovo – Andorra match, stadium and player list (link)
- Koha.net – report and course of the match with descriptions of the goals, absences and context of the victory (link)
- Global Sports Archive – timeline, line-ups, substitutions and match record of Kosovo – Andorra (link)
- UEFA – draw of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League and schedule of the league phase (link)
- UEFA – schedule of 2026/27 UEFA Nations League matches by groups and rounds (link)
- AS – information on Andorra’s June cycle and the appearances of goalkeeper Iker Álvarez (link)