Jakić and Rexhbecaj amongst the goals, Saad and Gharbi qualify for the World Cup
FCA players enjoy success in World Cup qualifying
First Team
09.09.2025, 08:30
Monday’s international fixtures could hardly have gone better for the FCA players who took part in the action, with all five winning their respective World Cup qualifying games and two of them even getting on the scoresheet.
Elias Saad and Ismaël Gharbi helped Tunisia book their place in the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea. Saad started the game and was later replaced on the pitch by teammate Gharbi in the 59th minute.
Fabian Rieder continued his good form for his national side, playing just over an hour and assisting one of Switzerland’s three goals against Slovenia from a corner. With six points and a 7-0 goal difference, the Swiss sit in a commanding position in their qualifying group.
Joy for Jakić and Croatia
Kristijan Jakić was also able to celebrate alongside his Croatian national side teammates as they beat Montenegro 4-0. The 28-year-old played the full 90 minutes and scored his first goal for his country with a brilliant shot from the left-hand side. With 12 points from four games, the Croatians sit at the top of Group L.
Elvis Rexhbecaj set Kosovo on the road to victory in their 2-0 win over Sweden, opening the scoring following a counter-attack and finishing calmly after his first attempt was saved by Olsen in the Swedish goal. The midfielder started the game and played 86 minutes.
Three more FCA players - Steve Mounié, Samuel Essende and Noahkai Banks – will turn out for their nations on Tuesday.
