Milestone football friendly for Kosovo

There will be no flags or national anthems and it will not be classed as a full international, but Kosovo’s national football team will play its first Fifa-sanctioned friendly match on Wednesday.

Six years after the nascent nation, which is recognised by 23 of the 28 European Union member states and 108 members of the United Nations but not Russia, began their campaign they will play Haiti in the town of Mitrovica, nearly 40 kilometres north of the capital Pristina.

It is the only stadium in the country of 1.7 million that meets Fifa criteria for staging matches.

All 17,000 tickets for the game were snapped up within seven hours of going on sale. Some for the west wing of the stadium were available on the black market for 10 times their original €10 (Dh50.5) price.

Mitrovica is also the only part of Kosovo that a significant number of Serbs still call home.

They are unlikely to attend.

Kosovo, which declared their independence from Serbia in February 2008, is not yet a member of the United Nations and, despite widespread international recognition, cannot therefore join Uefa, European football's governing body, nor Fifa, the world body.

The Kosovan Football Association have long petitioned both groups and received support from distinguished members of its diaspora, including three Switzerland internationals, Xherdan Shaqiri of Bayern Munich, Granit Xhaka of Borussia Moenchengladbach and Valon Behrami of Napoli. They supported Kosovo’s cause, but none of the trio will play tonight.

Fifa does not allow players to perform for two national teams, though Barcelona players have long played for Spain and Catalonia.

It remains a grey area and the Swiss nationals do not want to be further accused of having split loyalties. The Swiss national team has been significantly improved by the Kosovans and they qualified easily for the World Cup finals in Brazil.

“It’s fantastic to be part of this team,” Manchester City forward Bersant Celina, 17, who grew up in Norway, said.

“It couldn’t be better than this,” he said, speaking in English. “I hope to get some playing time so I can show how good I am.”

Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj is also of Kosovan heritage and could play for the team since most of his family hail from there, but his father turned down the invitation. Kosovo hopes he will change his mind.

The 19 year old, who has not played a full international for any country, also qualifies to play for Serbia, which does not recognise Kosovo and sees it as a historic part of its territory.

He also qualifies for Belgium and Turkey and, in two years, would be able to play for England.

Other Kosovan players represent the countries that took their parents as refugees during the conflict: Norway, Sweden and Finland.

“Kosovo will always keep its doors open for them,” national coach Albert Bunjaki told Reuters during a training session on Monday.

“This is a journey, and we expect others to join us in the future.”

The Kosovan FA is supported by Fadil Vokkri, their greatest player and the only one to make the full Yugoslavia side before the Balkans region was divided into six separate countries following the 1990s wars.

The FA hope Kosovo can become a full Fifa member and enter qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. Fifa have said this is unlikely, but football’s governing bodies have been admitting more members, such as Gibraltar, in spite of objections.

The Serbian FA had long objected to Kosovo’s requests but they acquiesced after negotiations with Fifa last year and tonight’s game can go ahead.

The agreement is that no national symbols can be displayed, but fans may decide otherwise.

Fifa will be watching closely. Their president Sepp Blatter has been supportive and tonight’s game is seen as a landmark, the culmination of six years’ hard work from the Kosovans.

Kosovo have not played a game for two years and then their matches were against local club sides rather than countries.

Bunjaki, has been in charge for five years but they have only played four games in that time.

The country still produces enough naturally talented footballers to produce a good team, though Haiti are ranked 79th in the world and will be a tough test.

Not that the result will matter too much – just being allowed to play the match is an achievement in itself.

sports@thenational.ae

* Additional reporting by Reuters

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Tips to stay safe during hot weather

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.