Match day, Albania faces Gibraltar for the first time today

2025-09-04 10:59:00, Sport CNA

The Albanian national team takes to the field today to play a friendly match against Gibraltar, a match that serves as a general test before the very important challenge against Latvia, valid for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

For the Rossoneri, this match has a dual role, on the one hand to test the team's condition, and on the other hand to try out different alternatives in the lineup.

This will be the first time Albania has faced Gibraltar. This small country, the youngest and smallest UEFA federation, is still in the early stages of developing international football. The numbers clearly show the differences between the two teams: Gibraltar has played 100 matches in its history, winning only 10 and losing 74. Last year they recorded a record defeat against France with a score of 14-0.

Gibraltar is led by coach Scott Wiseman and is ranked 199th in the FIFA rankings. The team's main player is considered veteran Liam Walker, who has been part of this national team for many years. Despite the difficulties, football in this country has shown steps forward, with the Lincoln Red team as an example, which has managed to participate in the group stage of the Conference League.

The match will be played at the Europa Sports Park stadium, a small facility with a capacity of only 2,500 seats and artificial grass. A detail that could also have an impact on how Albania will adapt to the playing conditions, before the most important match against Latvia, which will be played at AirAlbania on September 9.

The list published by coach Silvinjo has undergone significant changes in recent days. One of the most discussed issues was the departure of defender Adrian Bajrami, who decided to represent Switzerland and no longer Albania. In his place, young defender Maldini Kaçurri has been called up. In midfield, the absence of Ylber Ramadani due to an injury has been compensated by the invitation of Enis Çokaj. Meanwhile, another important absence is that of Ernest Muçi, whose place is taken by Kristian Shpendi.

These changes make it necessary for Silvinho to test other alternatives in the friendly match.

The match between Gibraltar and Albania will be played this Thursday, starting at 18:00.