Israel Held to Draw by Kosovo in Nations League Opener

After two opening losses in the Nations League campaign, the Israeli national team secured its first point on Thursday, drawing 0-0 with Kosovo. Israel's coach, Ran Ben Shimon, expressed significant disappointment, stating, "We had four 100% chances, we deserved more than a draw." On the opposing side, Kosovo's Valmir Gashi, who had predicted a win before the match, reflected, "We gave our all as a team, in the end, we were missing a goal. We had good opportunities, and so did they. 0-0 is a fair result, but we cannot be satisfied, a draw is like a loss for us." Kosovo's camp appeared more content with the outcome, having also secured a win against Ireland and a loss to Austria. Coach Franco Foda commented, "This is a lineup that has never played together, and overall we should be satisfied with the draw." He added, "We played against a very technical opponent." Kosovo midfielder the Kosovo player agreed, stating, "We didn't deserve to win. It was an even game, so we got a deserved point." His teammate Fisnik Asllani added, "I believe the result is good. Both teams had good chances, it was 50:50." Milot Rashica noted Israel's missed chances, saying, "Clearly, this was a game we should have won, but considering how it developed, with the chances the opponent had, we have to take this point and move on." It was noted that Kosovo appeared with a depleted squad.