FIFA World Cup 2022: Political undertone in fight for qualification

Switzerland players Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka have roots belonging to Kosovo, which gained independence from Serbian control in the late 90s.

It's a sunny evening in 2018 and the Kaliningrad stadium is treated to an attacking match between Serbia and Switzerland. The latter clinched the game in the dying minutes of the match as the final score read 2-1 to the Swiss. But the biggest talking point was the two goalscorers for Switzerland, and more specifically their celebrations.

Despite the two countries being around 1000 kilometres away from one another, this fixture between the two Central European nations has developed into quite a rivalry ever since the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The two players in question are Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, and the aforementioned celebration is the 'eagle' gesture both players made with their hands.

Switzerland vs Serbia going to be tasty if Serbia have to beat them to qualify.

Xhaka & Shaqiri going full eagle celebrations if they score after the Kosovo flags #WorldcupQatar2022 pic.twitter.com/IxKrSaKflG

— Robotto (@TheSirRobotto) November 28, 2022

The two players have roots in Kosovo, which gained independence from Serbian control in the late 90s, and they courted controversy when they made the gesture in front of Serbian fans. The pair were fined for the celebration and even expressed remorse for the actions.

Background story

Shaqiri and Xhaka's parents are from Kosovo, which is an ethnically Albanian state with 92 per cent of the population identifying as one. The country was involved in a brutal war in the Yugoslav region in the 1990s that saw tens and thousands of Kosovo-Albanians lose their lives and more than a million others displaced in the region. Kosovo was the last country to gain independence from Serbia, one of the six republics in the region, but that damage had already been done.

Xhaka and Shaqiri chose to represent Switzerland, with the former being born in Basel, and whenever the pair plays for the team, especially against Serbia, the Kosovo-Albanians are united in their support for the Swiss.

And tonight will be no different, as Xhaka will lead his team as captain in a direct shootout for a place in the Round of 16.

Expect some tackles to fly between the two sets of players and emotions to run high, especially if Xhaka manages to get on the scoresheet.