After the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Switzerland, Albania’s head coach, Sylvinho, spoke to fshf.org about the team’s placement in Group K, alongside England, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra. The Brazilian coach acknowledged the high level of difficulty in the group but emphasized that the team’s main goal is to fight until the end and do their best.
“Firstly, i have said this more than once, such environments are beautiful. From the third pot, it was expected: two very strong teams, then us in the third pot, and two teams from the fourth and fifth pots. It’s a strong and difficult group. Today, football is not easy. All teams know each other well. With technology, you can watch everything. It’s a group to play in, to fight in, and to go all the way, because it’s beautiful. Dreaming of going to the World Cup gives you a lot of energy,” Sylvinho said.
The coach noted the speed of the process and the importance of minimizing mistakes. “Everything is very fast, there isn’t much time. The fewer mistakes you make, the more chances you have to progress. Starting today, we begin from scratch. All teams aim to move forward; this is a dream for many teams. We dream too, but we need to make as few mistakes as possible if we want to move forward.”
Sylvinho’s thoughts on the group were clear: “The first thought is this: if you make fewer mistakes, you have the chance to move forward, to reach that point, and then, in October-November, have the chance to go to the World Cup. It’s a tough group, like many others, but we must fight and make as few mistakes as possible.”
The coach’s message is one of determination, knowing that every point counts in this competitive and challenging qualification process.
