Kosovo hopeful Uefa admission can lead to place in 2018 World Cup qualifying

Kosovo can take a step closer to joining Uefa this week, a move that could lead to a place in 2018 World Cup qualifying.

Membership of Europe’s football governing body will allow the former Serbian enclave’s national team and clubs to start playing in continental competitions.

That is the first step required before gaining Fifa membership, part of Kosovo’s wider push for international recognition since defying Serbia by declaring independence in 2008.

Uefa’s executive committee can rule the Balkan republic eligible to apply when it opens a two-day session on Thursday in Malta. Full membership can be granted only by Uefa’s annual congress, which meets in March in Budapest, Hungary.

“We are expecting in March to be full members of Uefa and then Fifa and to catch the qualification,” the Kosovo football federation secretary general, Eroll Salihu, said.

With fast-track support from Fifa, Kosovo could begin World Cup qualifying next September. Fifa’s 209 members could allow Kosovo to join at meetings in Mexico City next May, allowing time to place Kosovo in one of the two European qualifying groups which have only five teams instead of six.

“Because there are two groups with five, we hope to be like all others in this qualification,” Salihu said.

Fifa said it “cannot make comments about potential scenarios.”

Uefa is now supporting Kosovo’s case after resisting efforts by Fifa to let its teams play opponents from other countries.

“Based on our commitment and the will Uefa is showing to resolve Kosovo’s problem, we believe that in Malta the Uefa executive committee will propose to the congress a solution for us,” Fadil Vokrri, the FFK president, said.

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