Coach furious after PSG youth turns down call-up, opts to play for Cape Verde
Luxembourg are set to face Malta in a crucial two-legged playoff that will determine which nation competes in League C during the next edition of the UEFA Nations League.
The tie gets underway with the first leg in Malta this Thursday, before the return leg is played in Luxembourg on March 31.
Luxembourg coach Jeff Strasser had originally named a 24-man squad for this play-off, one more than the usual 23, partly due to fitness concerns surrounding forward Yvandro Borges, whose persistent knee issues have once again disrupted the 21-year-old’s continuity.
Although Borges has recently returned to training and even featured in a matchday squad for his club, the coaching staff opted for caution.
Borges made 11 Eredivisie appearances with Heracles Almelo this season, scoring twice.
However, the squad selection was overshadowed by the unexpected withdrawal of young talent Fabio Domingos.
The 19-year-old Paris Saint-Germain U19 forward had received his first senior call-up, but just one day after being nominated, he informed the Luxembourg Football Federation that he would instead accept a call-up from Cape Verde, his country of origin, for their World Cup preparatory friendlies.
Strasser revealed that he only found out about the decision on Friday, describing the situation as a complete surprise.
“It came completely out of the blue,” Strasser explained to a Luxembourg news outlet
“When I told him on Wednesday that I would be nominating him, he was extremely pleased.”
Strasser also revealed that the federation had been working on a long-term development plan for the player.
“Together with Manuel Cardoni (a staff member), I developed a long-term project for his future. We created videos, which he himself requested. Based on his development, we felt it was the right time to nominate him now,” said Strasser.
The Luxembourg coach did not hide his frustration with the situation, suggesting that smaller federations are vulnerable to losing dual-nationality talents.
“I find it very strange that one nomination came right after another. The player made this decision together with his family and those close to him. Cape Verde has qualified for the World Cup, so dreams can be sold. In my opinion, a young player is being exploited here. I’ve seen documents myself stating that the Cape Verdean Football Federation considers it important to convince players to play for their national team before they decide to play for another,” Strasser said.
“What happens to the player after that is of no concern to the federation.”
Domingos is not the first Luxembourg-developed talent to opt for a different national team, and Strasser is now calling for FIFA to address the issue, particularly regarding training compensation for national federations.
“FIFA needs to address this. The German and Belgian federations have already raised the issue of training compensation. So far, this only exists for clubs, but FIFA absolutely must take care of it,” he added.
Following the withdrawal of the attacking talent, Strasser confirmed he will not call up a replacement, as he had already named a 24-player squad.
Still, Luxembourg can rely on another interesting young profile, 21-year-old forward Jayson Videira, who is on the books of German side Mainz.
Videira’s inclusion reinforces the sense that Luxembourg are actively investing in the next generation.
However, the attacking conversation cannot be separated from the continued absence of Gerson Rodrigues.
Luxembourg’s all-time leading scorer remains unavailable following disciplinary action by the federation after he received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for domestic violence and bodily harm.
There are also positive reinforcements for Luxembourg. Left-back Mica Pinto (41 caps) returns after regaining fitness and beginning to accumulate minutes with his new club, FC Dordrecht in the Netherlands.
There were also doubts about the inclusion of captain Anthony Moris, who plays in the Saudi Pro League.
The goalkeeper is currently based in Belgium with his family and is conducting training sessions with a personal trainer provided by the Luxembourg FA.
Searching momentum
Luxembourg enter this playoff on the back of a difficult run.
Under Strasser, they have yet to secure a victory after finishing bottom without points in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, albeit against strong opponents in Germany, Slovakia and Northern Ireland.
This downturn contrasts with their recent progress.
Their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign – where they reached the play-offs before losing to Georgia – marked a historic high point and helped redefine perceptions, establishing Luxembourg as a structured and competitive underdog rather than a traditional minnow.
They also secured a notable 1-0 win over Sweden in an international friendly last year.
Yet recent Nations League performances have been inconsistent.
After collecting 11 and 10 points in the first two League C editions, they managed only three points in the most recent campaign, finishing bottom of a group that included Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Belarus.
Strasser represents continuity and renewal in equal measure.
A former international with 98 caps, his coaching philosophy centres on organisation, discipline and a proactive approach, typically built around 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1 structures.
His objective is to transform Luxembourg into a team capable not just of resisting stronger opponents, but of imposing phases of play.
Historically, the head-to-head has been relatively balanced, underlining that this is far from a straightforward fixture, although Malta have never beaten Luxembourg in a competitive match, with all wins coming in international friendlies.
SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS
Lucas Fox (1.FC Bocholt, Germany), Anthony Moris (Al-Khaleej FC, Saudi Arabia), Tiago Pereira (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany).
DEFENDERS
Florian Bohnert (SC Bastia, France), Dirk Carlson (SKN St. Pölten, Austria), Eldin Dzogovic (1.FC Magdeburg, Germany), Laurent Jans (SK Beveren, Belgium), Seid Korac (Venezia FC, Italy), Enes Mahmutovic (NAC Breda, Netherlands), Mica Pinto (FC Dordecht, Netherlands), Eric Veiga (Flamurtari FC, Albania).
MIDFIELDERS
Leandro Barreiro (SL Benfica, Portugal), Enzo Duarte (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Christopher Martins (Spartak Moscow, Russia), Tomás Morreira (SL Benfica, Portugal), Mathias Olesen (Greuther Fürth, Germany), Sébastien Thill (Stal Rzeszow, Poland).
FORWARDS
Yvandro Borges (Heracles Almelo, Netherlands), Aiman Dardari (FC Augsburg, Germany), Edvin Muratovic (FK Panevezys, Lithuania), Danel Sinani (FC St. Pauli, Germany), Vincent Thill (SV Waldhof Mannheim, Germany), Jayson Videira (1.FSV Mainz 05, Germany).