2018 World Cup qualifying

FIFA working on Kosovo cases hours before World Cup debut

Published On: September 5, 2016 04:39 PM NPT By: Associated Press


ZURICH, Sept 5: FIFA says it is processing eligibility cases for eight potential Kosovo players, hours before the team's World Cup qualifying debut in Finland.

FIFA did not specify how many of the eight are in Turku for Tuesday's match, and did not say if more cases could be approved.

Kosovo's entry into 2018 World Cup qualifying, after gaining FIFA membership in May, has tested rules on switching allegiance.

Rules to regulate dual nationality players have struggled to deal with a new national team like Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

FIFA says its players' status committee already granted eligibility to nine Kosovo players. They were previously eligible to compete for six different European countries, including Albania.

Kosovo's World Cup qualifying group also includes Croatia, Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.


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