Sweden, Slovenia and Kosovo are competing with Switzerland for a place at the 2026 World Cup. Coach Murat Yakin and director Pierluigi Tami agree: qualifying will be difficult.
13.12.2024, 18:00
13.12.2024, 20:48
SDA
An overview of the World Cup qualifying groups
- Group A: Winner Germany/Italy (Nations League), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
- Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
- Group C: Losers Portugal/Denmark, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
- Group D: Winner France/Croatia, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
- Group E: Winner Spain/Netherlands, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
- Group F: Winner Portugal/Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia
- Group G: Losers Spain/Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
- Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
- Group I: Losers Germany/Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
- Group J: Belgium, Wales, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
- Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Andorra
- Group L: Losers France/Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
While Yakin initially said that his team wanted to live up to their role as favorites, Tami said that he did not see a clear favorite in the group. "Any team can take points off anyone." Above all, Sweden, who impressed in the Nations League in the fall, and Slovenia, who remained unbeaten at the European Championship and only lost to Portugal on penalties, are teams on an equal footing. But Kosovo should also not be underestimated after their previous encounters, with three draws in three games.
Nevertheless, the goal remains clear: Switzerland want to qualify for the World Cup for the sixth time since 2006. To achieve this, Yakin must ensure that his team does not fall back into the autumn blues. After all, next year's qualifiers will take place between September and November. During this period, there was only one win in twelve games this year and last year: the 3-0 win against Andorra.
Will the national team regain its old strength?
And another thing is clear: in a group of four, in which each team only plays six games, slip-ups hurt twice as much. "Mistakes are practically not allowed," says Tami.
"We have to be very efficient in our selection," said Yakin, looking ahead. And Tami is confident that the team will regain its former strength after the recent mixed performances in the Nations League. "We want to perform with the same energy and quality that we showed at the European Championship in Germany." He is confident that Yakin will use the international match dates in March and June "to form a group that can successfully compete in this campaign".
Things get serious in the fall of 2025
Tami and Yakin are relaxed about the next clash with Kosovo. Although players from both national teams have ties to the other country, the two are not expecting any emotional outbursts. "We're just concentrating on our task," said Yakin. "For us, it's about implementing what we've learned from the Nations League and, above all, playing more efficiently than last time."
«A very cool and difficult group. We haven't played against Sweden and Slovenia for a while. We've never won against Kosovo in our previous games. A strong team and of course always a special and beautiful game for me and my family»
In the next few days, the program will be put together until next autumn. Then things will get serious for Yakin and Co. After successfully qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 European Championship, the 50-year-old wants to lead the team to their third major tournament in a row.
«With Sweden, Slovenia and Kosovo, we've drawn three very strong opponents with a lot of quality. They will be good matches and I'm convinced that we have the qualities as a team to qualify for the World Cup.»
