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That's all I've got for you tonight, hopefully you enjoyed the coverage of this game as Jordan beat Kosovo 2-0 in Pristina in the end.
I've been Noah Robson, thanks for following along, and see you next time right here on VAVEL!
Jordan - What It Means
Jordan will know this wasn’t their greatest performance they’ve ever had, having to dig deep at the back for some time, but their resilience defensively, as well as their smash-and-grab technique late on, will stand them in good stead in the future.
Their next game is another international friendly in Europe, this time away to Belarus for a game next Tuesday at 5:00 PM GMT, meaning it is 8:00 PM local time.
Following on from that game, they’ll be looking to set their sights on the 2023 Asian Cup, which they are in the third round of qualification for that will continue next summer.
Kosovo - What It Means
For Kosovo this will be seen as a frustrating result, in that they had the lion’s share of possession as well as an abundance of chances but were unable to take any of them in the end.
They are set to face Greece on Sunday, in the final match of their World Cup Qualifying group but unfortunately for them they can no longer get to the tournament in Qatar next winter.
After that, the focus will shift to the Nations League tournament, and from then on it will be back to attempting to qualify for a major tournament for the firs time in their history again.
All the key stats from the game
Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Shots: 16 - 8
On Target: 5 - 4
Possession: 54% - 46%
Corners: 9 - 1
Fouls: 12 - 15
Yellow Cards: 2 - 3
Red Cards: 0 - 1
The mood among Kosovo fans...
pic.twitter.com/vciweuAShF — Kosovan Football 🇽🇰 | 💉 (@kosovanfooty_EN) November 10, 2021
Match Summary
Jordan had to be strong in defence for much of the game, but two goals - one early and one late - gave the visitors the victory in Pristina against a poor Kosovo side.
It was Jordan who got the opening goal of the game just under 20 minutes in, when an excellent run from Faisal ended in him attempting a shot which, after a big deflection, ended up in the back of the net.
The rest of the first half was relatively short of action, but it did include some rather nasty challenges, which the referee surprisingly let by, despite their physical nature in just a friendly game.
During the second half it was Kosovo with almost all of the opportunities, as well as most of the ball, but they could do nothing with it in the end and after a second goal in the 85th minute for the away side, the game was all but over.
Player of the Match - Baha' Faisal
There were a few Jordan players I could’ve opted for, including at the back, after a very solid defensive performance put in by the away side.
As it was however, Baha’ Faisal’s opening goal in the 18th minute set up Jordan’s gameplan for the rest of the 90 minutes so the player of the match accolade must go to the 26-year-old striker.
He made an excellent run from within his own half, using his strength to keep off Kosovo defenders before letting fly with a shot that, after a fortunate deflection, landed in the net to give his side the lead, and the eventual win.
FULL TIME: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
And with that the referee blows the whistle for full time here in Pristina, as Jordan get the win against a Kosovo side who rarely threatened the visitors goal too much.
The opening goal came in the 18th minute, when Faisal charged up the pitch form just inside his own half, before letting fly with an effort that took a huge deflection and found its way into the net.
For much of the second half the game followed a very similar pattern throughout, with Kosovo having most of the ball but unable to break down their opponent quite enough.
Jordan had to stand firm for some time, but they got a second in the 85th minute to secure the victory, and will be pleased with the performance they put in when they analyse the game.
90+2: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Also during that time, the fourth official showed there was four minutes of added time at the end here.
90+1: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Al-Rawabdeh is sent off late on here for a second yellow card just moments after Jordan see another chance saved by Muric.
Lots of action near the end here!
88: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Abulaila now makes an excellent save, preventing Muriqi from getting a goal back for the hosts late on here.
87: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Muric makes a brilliant save to prevent a third going in and that gives them a tiny, tiny chance of pulling this back still.
GOAL!: Kosovo 0-2 Jordan
Jordan have their security goal!
Aldaradreh gets in behind, pouncing on a Kosovo mistake and finishes ruthlessly past the goalkeeper.
81: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A fierce strike from Zhegrova looks threatening but it flies over the bar, to the frustration of all those in support of Kosovo.
80: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Jordan have a rare chance to get a second but they waste the opportunity, which could come back to bite them if they don't see this through.
75: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Just under 15 minutes left in normal time here, can Kosovo find the equaliser they've been searching for?
71: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A brilliant ball into the box from Vojvoda is headed down by Muriqi but the striker heads it straight at the goalkeeper, much to Kosovo's frustration.
68: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Abulaila has gone down with an injury I'm not quite sure how he's picked up considering he hasn't been running around a whole lot.
Then again, we are talking about a goalkeeper who has been trying to time waste since his side went ahead in the 18th minute, so it's not too surprising.
66: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
It's attack after attack from the home sides and it appears as though a big chance will finally materialise but so far the final ball has been poor, allowing Jordan to clear with ease.
63: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Vojvoda puts the ball in but it's defended well by Al-Dumeiri and he wins the foul for his side too.
He's been heavily involved in the first 15 minutes of this second period of the game.
61: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
... which is then headed down by Fazliji but the keeper is there to collect with relative ease.
The search for an equaliser goes on.
61: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A poor free kick from Jordan but they do win a corner out of it...
59: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
There's a few substitutions for both sides throughout this game, owing to the large amount of changes allowed.
I won't go through them all, not least because it would take me about three hours to write them all out.
55: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Rashica shows off an excellent piece of skill to get away from his man but again his shot is blocked.
That was a smart turn from the Norwich City forward there, but perhaps he should've passed to a teammate instead of taking the shot on.
53: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Jordan have a corner which is swung in from the right hand side but is easily cleared away, setting Kosovo onto a potential counter attack but that too is closed down.
47: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A Kosovo corner comes in which is headed over by Muriqi.
That's a much better start from the hosts than in the first half though.
46: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Kastrati and Zhegrova come on for Halimi and Kryeziu at the start of this second half which is now underway.
Kosovo fans aren't too happy...
Gliha no tactics and relying on individual brilliance — Pastor Snoop (@TheDe300) November 10, 2021
Can't win anything with such a midfield and poor activity on the sides.
— Tristan Trasca (@TristanTrasca) November 10, 2021
The key statistics
Shots: 5 - 3
On Target: 2 - 1
Possession: 52% - 48%
Corners: 4 - 0
Fouls: 8 - 7
Yellow Cards: 1 - 1
HALF TIME: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
The referee blows the whistle for half time, neglecting to add on any additional time after what was a half lacking in too many clear cut opportunities.
A goal did come in the 18th minute as Faisal made a great run forward, not being closed down by any defenders, before his deflected strike made its way in.
For the remainder of the half, few chances were created but there were some big challenges going in, making the game more than watchable for the opening 45 minutes.
That said, the hosts do need to improve if they are to get anything out of this game, with Kosovo being relatively poor throughout so far.
45: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Rashica puts a brilliant ball in, heading towards Muriqi in the box but it is cleared away from a corner which is far too deep.
44: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Shala makes a positive run forwards but his final pass is poor and can't penetrate the Jordan defence.
42: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Al-Rawabdeh picks up a yellow card for a cynical foul.
41: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Halimi goes in with yet another big challenge and being on a yellow card he does need to be careful about the fouls he is committing here.
40: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Primaz Gliha isn't best pleased with his side's performance so far, as they have struggled to create any clear opportunities and have looked shaky at the back too.
They'll need to improve in the second half.
38: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A big challenge comes in from Halimi on Faisal and it's actually starting to become quite feisty here despite it being a so-called 'friendly'.
36: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Jordan are doing well to both cut out Kosovo attacks and look to create their own chances on the break too.
They're getting closer to a second.
33: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Faisal fires a free kick from very far out looking for his second goal of the game but can't keep his effort down.
30: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Vojvoda tries to put the ball into the box first time after a cross-field pass comes towards him in the air but gets it spectacularly wrong, sending it out for a Jordan goal kick.
26: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Abulaila makes a great stop to deny Muriqi after he fired an effort towards the bottom left corner.
25: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
A great delivery from the resulting corner and Rrahmani gets his head on it but it goes just wide.
24: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
It's a decent effort from Berisha as his effort flies just over the crossbar but not quite close enough.
23: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Kosovo get a free kick right on the edge of the box after Abdullarman commits the foul.
22: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Rashica appeals for a penalty after he attempts to put a cross in but the referee waves the appeals away.
21: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
Kosovo have responded well to going behind but it means they're leaving gaps at the back by pushing more players forwards.
It feels like there could be more goals in this one!
GOAL!: Kosovo 0-1 Jordan
There's the opening goal!
Jordan race forward on the counter attack and Faisal runs almost the whole pitch before hitting a shot from distance which deflects off of Fazliji before somehow finding its way into the net.
17: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
Jordan have a free kick just inside the Kosovo half which Abdullarman swings in but it comes to nothing.
14: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
It's not the busiest this stadium has ever been but there is a decent noise coming from the home fans, helped by a drum in the crowd too.
8: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
Jordan get forward for the first time but can't do much to threaten the hosts' defence.
5: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
The corner comes in and Kryeziu gets his head on it but it takes an unfortunate deflection of a teammate and bounces behind for a goal kick.
4: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
It's another good cutback by Berisha which forces a corner and this has been a good start for Kosovo.
3: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
A good ball in from the left wing looked dangerous but no Kosovo attackers could get on the end of it.
KICK OFF: Kosovo 0-0 Jordan
The game is underway in Pristina, stick on this page for all the updates from the game.
Ten minutes to go...
There's not long now until the game gets underway in Pristina, with the teams set to emerge from the tunnel shortly.
Jordan: Recent Results
Jordan have also had a mixed bag in recent games, though they have fared much better since their new manager has come into the frame.
After losing 1-0 to Australia in World Cup Qualifying in June and 2-0 to Haiti at the start of September, they have since gone on to pick up three wins.
The first was against Bahrain, where they won 2-1, and then their two most recent results, wins against Malaysia and Uzbekistan have been particularly impressive, winning 4-0 and 3-0 respectively.
Kosovo: Recent Results
Looking back at their last five games, it's been something of a mixed picture for Kosovo.
They've lost their last three, to Georgia 2-1, to Sweden 3-0, and finally to Spain 2-0 back at the start of September.
However, before that game they had picked up a point at home to Greece drawing 1-1, and won away at Georgia 1-0, so it's not been the worst pattern of results for the home side.
The Managers: Adnan Hamad
For the visitors, their manager is not much longer in the job than his opposite number on the touchline, with Adnan Hamad only taking over in June of this year.
The Iraqi former player has been in charge for four games thus far, losing his first 2-0 in Haiti, but winning each of the three following that inaugural loss.
That has included wins against Bahrain, Malaysia and Uzbekistan, the last two of the three they beat 4-0 and 3-0 respectively, but whether they can repeat such a result away from home remains to be seen.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Managers: Primoz Gliha
Looking at Kosovo first of all, and their manager is currently in a caretaker position after the previous one, Bernard Challandes, was sacked.
Primoz Gliha has not yet managed the team, and confirmed he would only be in charge for this game, and their final one of this year away to Greece on Sunday.
He was previously an assistant coach under Challandes but has been temporarily promoted in order to fill the gap left by the departure of his predecessor.
View from the home fans...
3-0 vamos💙 https://t.co/J009mBpfJq — 𝔸𝕝𝕓𝕚𝕠𝕟 (@albiongruda) November 10, 2021
Aliti ball pic.twitter.com/Oti7hfMadX
— Arion (@THFCArion) November 10, 2021
Let's Go 🇽🇰💪🏼 https://t.co/LOKQoaKFpT
— Arton Ahmeti 🍁 (@iamartonnahmeti) November 10, 2021
Jordan Starting XI
...and here's what the away team looks like.
Kosovo Starting XI
Here's the lineup from the home team...
This is how we line-up tonight as we face Jordan in a friendly match in Prishtina!#KOSJOR | 🇽🇰🇯🇴 pic.twitter.com/MNWZDoAFZi
— Kosovan Football 🇽🇰 | 💉 (@kosovanfooty_EN) November 10, 2021
5 Minutes Until Team News!
There's not long to go until we get team news from Kosovo, stay right here for all the updates.
Reminder!
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Tune in here for Kosovo vs Jordan
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Do not miss a detail of the match Kosovo vs Jordan live updates and commentaries of VAVEL.
What time does the game kick-off across the world?
- India: 10:30 PM
- South Africa: 7:00 PM
- Australia (Sydney): 4:00 AM
- Japan: 2:00 AM
- USA (New York): 12:00 PM
Last home match of the year for the National Squad..
What's your score prediction, as we take on Jordan at "Fadil Vokrri"?
Our prediction: 🇽🇰2-0🇯🇴#KOSJOR | #BashkePerKosoven pic.twitter.com/BmyKfYdzPJ — Kosovan Football 🇽🇰 | 💉 (@kosovanfooty_EN) November 10, 2021
What time does the game kick-off?
This game will be being shown live on the red button of Sky Sports so, if you are subscribed to the channel, you can watch live coverage of the game itself.
It is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM GMT, which is 6:00 PM local time, but there will be some brief build up prior to the match getting underway.
Otherwise, you can always follow the game right here on this live blog with me if you prefer, where I'll have regular updates throughout the 90 minutes.
Kosovo vs Jordan Prediction
Being just a friendly, this sort of game can either go one of two ways: a boring 0-0 draw which is remarkably empty of chances, or a thrilling match in which one side edges it.
I'm going to be optimistic and go for the latter of those two options, so I'm prepared for a goal-filled match this afternoon in Kosovo.
As such, my prediction is for a 3-3 draw - though perhaps there will be a late winner on the cards for one side to end a hopefully enthralling game, even if the result itself doesn't particularly matter.
Latest games between Kosovo and Jordan
With Kosovo only starting to play matches regularly in the 2013/14 season, they have never gone up against their upcoming opponents in the form of Jordan ever before.
In fact, they've only played 38 matches in their entire history, meaning the likelihood of them facing any team previously is relatively unlikely in the grand scheme of things.
Therefore, this is a chance for a historic result for either side to mark the first win for their country in this fixture, setting a precedent each time it's played out in the future.
Key Player from Jordan - Baha' Faisal
From Jordan, it was slightly more difficult to pick out just an individual, with their national team squad changing relatively regularly, but I've gone with Baha' Faisal.
The forward, who plays for the Qatari club Al-Shamal currently, is something of a goalscoring machine, getting an incredible 36 goals in just 38 games for his club side.
His form is also up there with some of the best for the national team too, having got 14 goals in 46 appearances, which he'll be hoping to add to tonight against Kosovo.
Key Player from Kosovo - Amir Rrahmani
For the home side in this game, there were a few players that could've been chosen as a potential one to watch based on both club and country form in recent games.
The person I'm going for though, is the national team captain Amir Rrahmani, who has made 41 appearances for his national side since his debut in 2014.
In that time, being a centre back, it's impressive to see he's notched up five goals, so he's one to look out for not only for his defensive responsibilities, but also going forward, particularly at set pieces.
Probable line-ups of Jordan
Team News of Jordan
- Jordan announced their squad on November 5th ahead of this fixture
- Based on the player selected in that, they have no obvious injury concerns
- They should be able to field whatever squad they like out of the players called up
Predicted XI
Yaseen; Khairullah, Yaseen, A-Arab, Al-Dmeiri; Abdel-Rahman, Haddad, al-Bakhit; Faisal, Al-Saify, Al-Dardour
Probable line-ups of Kosovo
Team News of Kosovo
- Elbasan Rashani has had to leave the squad due to an injury
- Both Lirim Kastrati and Bersant Celina were requested to be withdrawn by their clubs - Legia Warsaw and Ipswich Town respectively
- Zymer Bytyqi has been ruled out with a muscle injury
Predicted XI
Muric; Vojvoda, Rrahmani, Hadergjonaj, Aliti; Berisha, Loshaj, Drešević, Domgjoni; Muriqi, Rashica
Who is the referee and his assistants?
The referee for Kosovo vs Jordan will be Dejan Jakimovksi and his assistants will be Dejan Kostadinov and Kushtrim Lika.
On fourth official duties will be Aleksandar Grujoski, with all of the officials coming from North Macedonia for this particular game.
Jordan: Building back stronger
As for Jordan, they've already unfortunately missed out on their chance to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after coming third in their group on goal difference.
Therefore, their hopes will now turn to the 2023 Asian Cup, which they remain in qualifying for, the next round of which is due to take place at some point next summer.
This game gives them a chance to test out any new tactics, and indeed new players, in preparation for what will be a tough run of games to get to a major tournament for only the fifth time in their history.
Kosovo: Looking to build confidence
For Kosovo, this fixture will be primarily seen as a time in which the squad of players, and indeed the fans, can regain some confidence in their abilities.
They've not had the greatest qualification campaign for the World Cup, though for a country with a population of just 1.8 million, they've not done too badly whatsoever.
They currently have four points in a group containing Spain, Sweden and Greece, which is a very respectable tally, and will want to build up teams spirits ahead of their final game in the group on Sunday.
The match will be played at the Pristina City Stadium
The Kosovo vs Jordan match will be played at the stadium Fadil Vokkri Stadium, in Pristina with a capacity of 13,500 people.
Having opened back in 1953, this arena has hosted Kosovo international games since the country's independence in the late 1990s.
It has seen many different opponents come to visit, including Spain, England and Sweden to name just a few away sides.
Welcome to VAVEL.com's coverage of the 2021 International Friendly match: Kosovo vs Jordan Live Updates!
My name is Noah Robson and I'll be your host for this game.
We will provide you with pre-game analysis, score updates and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.
Follow along for all the latest in this International Friendly match in Pristina!