Shehu and Daku: Next very important match, the main goal to get three points

Red footballers talked about the goals of this meeting, while also commenting on the 0-1 victory in the last friendly over Gjilbraltar.

Julian Shehu stressed that the next match against Latvia is very important, and the main objective is to get three points.

Gibraltar match The target for the Gibraltar match was to try the new players, some game ways. I think we had a good fight. The players who were given the opportunity to play, I believe, played well and showed their values as national team football players. It was a positive fight.

Team status for next match The next fight is the most important. Team status is very good, we have enthusiasm and we have to win this fight. That's also the main target, so we can get three points.

Criticals for recent matches and changes the team must make in the game I believe we haven't had a bad fight, but the most important thing is that we have results, which we play 90 minutes for. I believe in these games, along with the good game, we get results. To Latvia, we want to take the three points and everything is easier then.

What have you prepared to correct the mistakes of last match with Latvia I don't think it's a matter of focus. Every team, both Latvia and other teams that on paper are weaker than we are, they play soccer and it is not easy to win against them. Especially in their fields. We're going to do more in this fight to get three points.

What prevented you from marking the national club? Club is not the same as nationals. On the team, my natural position is half-dispensive. But depending on coach tactics, sometimes even players change positions. This is not always defined. There are trainers asking me to play a little bit earlier, there are trainers asking me to play a little bit back. In the nationals, the coach has decided that I'm gonna be a part-time detective and that I have to do my best in that position and my coach's homework.

Mirlind Daku commented on the friendly match to Gibraltar and spoke of the next qualifying challenge to Latvia, stressing that the goal is victory in “Air Albania”.

The Gibraltar fight? It was a game we had a lot of young players who came in and it was the first time we played together. As for the offensive aspect, we had several cases, but it was not that maximum concentration, considering that friendly matches are only to see the team set up and the schemes we prepared. I believe friendly matches are normally to win and watch the team play what it takes to improve.

Latvia? In the first match against Latvia we had many cases, but maybe we came after a match here at “Air Albany” against Serbia with a lot of volume and intensity, but we were still a little bit aggressive in the finalisation part, but the cases were not missing. That's what we shouldn't worry about, since we've had opportunities and we can win, but I hope we win the next fight after learning from the mistakes we've made.

What's the status of the team? We need to find the force and I believe that very quickly and from the Latvia game, which is very important to continue the course of the games that we have very intensively, and we have to find the strength and give the best we can to win these matches, to be calmer because the hardest fights any team has is to play against these teams that have nothing to lose and go into the field for anything. So we need to find the strength, be united and fight to the end for our intentions.

How has the team been presenting so far in these qualifications? I believe you've seen and I'm referring to the match with Serbia that we've been very prepared and better at that match than the opponent. I believe that only against England that we've played there, all the other games we've dominated, and we have to take these games one more step to our dreams, to secure the World Cup. Even though there are very few matches left, but it's a very long way, because it takes a lot of work and commitment to get there, because we have very strong opponents, but I believe in this group and all of us who, with effort, sacrifice and commitment, will succeed.

Albania will play on Tuesday at 20:45 at the Air Albania Stadium match against Latvia, valid for World qualifying 2026. /Periscopi/