Israel will look to put a disappointing international window behind them and get their UEFA Nations League campaign back on track when they visit Kosovo in Pristina on Saturday (16:00 Israel time) and then host Austria in Debercen Hungary on Tuesday.

Ahead of the matchup, Israel head coach Ran Ben Shimon and captain Eli Dasa spoke to the media on Friday, discussing the challenge awaiting the Blue-and-White as they look to finally return to winning ways.

Dasa opened up first and was asked about the expectations surrounding Israel’s current generation of players and whether this is finally the group capable of delivering a major tournament appearance.

“Every campaign, people say this is the generation,” the defender explained. “The country is hungry to reach a major tournament, and those expectations keep building. Sometimes the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. But I believe in our players and coaching staff. We can accomplish great things, and national teams around us continue to improve.”

“We have to keep raising our level. The expectations are legitimate because we also want to achieve something special. Tomorrow’s game has been identified as the toughest in the group. Kosovo is an excellent team at home, with a difficult atmosphere, a good crowd and an aggressive style. We’re facing a significant challenge.”

Dasa also addressed Omer Atzili’s recent social media post concerning Beitar Jerusalem teammate Yarden Shua, who has not been receiving the playing time some believe he deserves with the national team.

“I haven’t spoken to Omer and I wasn’t offended. He can say whatever he wants. Yarden is an excellent player and plenty of people believe he should play every minute. If he were playing, we’d probably be hearing similar comments about someone else. Everyone deserves an opportunity, and everyone is at the required level. The coach has the toughest job in the world, and different considerations sometimes come into play. That doesn’t take anything away from Yarden’s ability. He’s a great player who always makes an impact when he comes on. That’s Omer’s opinion and that’s fine.”

Ben Shimon also looked ahead to the matchup, emphasizing how closely matched the two sides are and how the smallest details could ultimately determine the result.

“The level of the two national teams is very similar, and the little things will decide who wins,” the coach said. “Kosovo has a good team, but so do we. I’m not looking at history ahead of this game. It should be an interesting matchup.”

Ben Shimon also discussed the challenges of managing a national team, particularly the limited time available to work with his players between international fixtures, “Every day I learn something new as national team coach, but this is a task-oriented job. The biggest challenge is communicating the most important things in the shortest amount of time. You always have to prioritize. Sometimes you prepare for two months but only have a day or two with the players.”

“Since I was 12, I’ve felt that every game is the most important of my life. Every match matters, and I do my best when I prepare thoroughly with my staff. I don’t look too far ahead or worry about what might happen. We approach every game focused, determined and believing in our ability.”

Ben Shimon also addressed questions about players who appear to withdraw from national team duty due to injuries, stressing that the situation is often more complicated than it may seem from the outside.

“If I felt players were doing that, I would address it. But there are many complexities surrounding selections and decisions that people don’t see. We don’t share every consideration publicly, but we always try to make the best decisions. I believe our players genuinely want to join every national team gathering, even if certain complications sometimes prevent that.”

He was also asked specifically about players from Israel’s Arab sector, including Mahmoud Jaber and Mohammed Abu Fani, “We’re going through a complicated period. I visited Mahmoud Jaber in Saint-Etienne and he’s eager to represent the national team, but he’s had injuries. The same applies to Abu Fani. All these players want to be involved, but sometimes injuries prevent them from joining us. Ultimately, I’m trying to select the best possible squad at every given moment.”

As for Israel’s injury situation ahead of Saturday’s contest, Ben Shimon provided updates on Roy Revivo and Manor Solomon, with both facing an uphill battle to be available.

“Roy underwent a scan this morning, but his chances of playing aren’t high. He’s feeling something in his calves. Manor is dealing with a back problem. He tried to train after arriving, but the pain was significant. His chances are also very low, although we still have more than 24 hours.”

Ben Shimon also offered positive words about young midfielder Niv Yehoshua, who has impressed since joining the national team setup, “He’s surprised me with how quickly he’s adapted to the group. He’s a very humble person and I wanted to get a closer look at him. I’ve seen good things in training and he’s progressing very well.”

With expectations once again building around the national team and a difficult away assignment awaiting them in Pristina, Israel will have an opportunity to put the disappointment of the previous international window behind them. Ben Shimon and his players know that a strong start against a talented and aggressive Kosovo side could be an important first step toward building momentum and keeping their Euro 2028 ambitions on track.