The captain of Switzerland, Granit Xhaka, described as a special moment the qualification to the 1/8 finals of the World Cup, a match that also had a personal meaning for him, as it was his 150th appearance with the jersey of the Swiss national team, reports albinfo.ch.

The Albanian midfielder said that he feels privileged to have had the opportunity to represent Switzerland for so many years years.

“It is a privilege to have worn this jersey for the 150th time. This country, where I was born and grew up, has given a lot to my family. I hope this will not be my last match”, said Xhaka.

He revealed that before the match he had asked his teammates to make this jubilee even more special by securing qualification, which the team successfully achieved.

Commenting on the victory against Algeria, Xhaka described Switzerland’s performance as mature.

“The first half was good, while the second was very good. In matches with direct elimination, it doesn’t matter how you play, but that you qualify. And we achieved that,” he said.

The captain also singled out the work in defense, stressing that the team showed discipline and collective strength, after the three previous games in which they had suffered goal.

Xhaka also had big words for the young talent Johan Manzambi, who was once again decisive for Switzerland.

“He is on the right way to become a very, very big player. Even today he helped us score. I like his mentality because he wants to improve every day. When you have this approach at such a young age, you can achieve great things,” Xhaka pointed out.

In the end, he also thanked the Swiss fans for their support, especially those who woke up early to follow the match, describing their support as an additional motivation for the team.

Source: prizrenpost