Great Nations League kickoff thrills coach Yakin with fresh team pros

Great Nations League opener ended for the Swiss national team with a convincing 3-0 against North Macedonia, a result that the players enthusiastically commented on after the match. Coach Murat Yakin was pleased, but stressed the need to improve the finishing rate and highlighted the strong squad depth.

Yakin criticises finishing rate

Yakin criticised after the match the lack of efficiency of his attacking players. “We scored too few goals,” said the coach. The statistics showed at half‑time 17 shots on goal, of which only three were on target, which proved Yakin right.

He also criticised the unbalanced attacking distribution. “We were too left‑leaning. Then we moved twice over to the right – and twice there was a goal,” he explained.

Four newcomers celebrated their debut: Zachary Athekame, Sascha Britschgi, Alvyn Sanches and Winsley Boteli. Yakin praised Athekame’s offensive drive and willingness to run, saying: “He has an offensive drive, is very eager to run.” Britschgi described his first international match as a childhood dream that he had enjoyed.

Experienced midfielders strengthen the team

Midfield veteran Remo Freuler, scorer of the 1‑0, spoke positively about the integration of the newcomers. “They have settled in very well and are slowly finding their footing. That is a pleasure,” he said. Beside him was Ardon Jashari, who completed his twelfth international match and spoke about his roots in Skopje: “Playing here in Skopje was a dream for my family, but also for me.”

Jashari, currently active at AC Milan, is often compared with Granit Xhaka, but he emphasises that they are different types of players. “We are completely different types of players. Actually even complementary,” explained the 24‑year‑old. Yakin hopes that Jashari can line up more often alongside Xhaka in the future.

The clear victory has shown that the national team is well‑balanced both in squad depth and in youth development. With that, the team can approach future Nations League matches without major concerns.