Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha has landed to a hero’s welcome in Pristina after being selected to make his international debut for Kosovo.
The 31-year-old has been called up for Kosovo’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Friday, March 24.
The match against Iceland is just the fifth FIFA World Cup qualifier in Kosovo’s history, with Berisha to miss Victory‘s match away to Brisbane Roar on March 25.
“It’s really good feeling to be here and play for my country,” Berisha told reporters in Pristina. “I would like to score as many goals as possible.”
Berisha was born in Pristina when it was still a part of Yugoslavia but grew up in Germany, making his debut for Albania – like many other Kosovars before and since – in 2006.
He had a special clearance approved by FIFA in January to switch to Kosovo, which only became a FIFA member in 2016.
