PRISTINA -- Kosovo defeated Israel's national soccer team in Pristina in a match played amid tight security and in front of a relatively small crowd at the 14,000-seat Fadil Vokrri Stadium on November 12.
Kosovo won the game 1-0, thanks to a first-half goal by Milot Rashica.
The 2024 qualifier was originally scheduled for October 15 but was delayed after fighters from the Hamas extremist group -- declared a terrorist organization by the EU and the United States -- attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 240 people hostage.
That Hamas attack fueled relentless Israeli retaliatory strikes against Gaza, leading to more than 11,000 deaths, according to Palestinian officials.
Kosovo authorities stepped up security measures after Israeli players arrived on November 10 and added to them as match day approached.
Personnel blocked roads around the stadium and carried out strict checks on ticketed fans. Authorities said that "any racist, xenophobic, political, religious promotional material will be banned."
The tough security presence and poor weather likely contributed to the smaller-than-expected crowd for the match.
Hours before the match, a large banner with the inscription "Free Palestine" was placed on the Grand Hotel building in the city center next to a Ukrainian flag by the activist group Collective for Feminist Thought and Action -- but it was quickly removed.
Days before the match, a pro-Palestinian group had requested permission for a peaceful protest on the day of the game, but police rejected the request for security reasons.
A day before the match, Israel's coach and captain said the Israel national team felt "safe and comfortable" in Kosovo.
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Israeli Footballers Ready For Euro Qualifier In Kosovo
Both sides urged fans to focus on soccer amid the tense geopolitical situation.
Kosovo's coach, Primoz Gliha, on November 11 said turmoil over the Israel-Hamas war should not affect this match and that for him, it is not something extraordinary to play soccer in times of war.
"It doesn't affect me. Not at all, because this is life. We had a war in Yugoslavia, we played in similar conditions. But football is football. I am very sad about this [war]," said Gliha, who played as a professional for Dinamo Zagreb when his homeland, Slovenia, gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.