Kosovo To Play First Official International Match

The game will be played in a 29,000-seat stadium in Kosovska Mitrovica, the country's only FIFA-approved stadium.

Kosovo will play its first FIFA-approved soccer game when it plays Haiti on March 1.

The friendly match was sanctioned by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, in January after getting agreement from Serbia, the country from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

Although Kosovo has been recognized by 107 countries, it has not been allowed to join the United Nations and has been kept out of international sporting bodies.

Kosovar soccer federation chief Fadil Vokrri said the game against Haiti will "break the ice" for Kosovo and marks "the end of isolation."

The game will be played in a 29,000-seat stadium in Kosovska Mitrovica, the country's only FIFA-approved stadium.

Kosovo will not, however, be able to fly its national flag or to play the country's national anthem prior to the game, as is customary at national soccer matches.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa