While they have failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals in North America, Estonia's men's national football team still hopes to end their Group I matches with their collective heads against an on-form Norway this coming Thursday.
Estonia is confirmed in fourth place in Group I regardless of the result on Thursday, and so is playing for national honor. "Yes, there's definitely something at stake – above all, the honor of playing for the national team. Every time we step onto the pitch, we represent the Republic of Estonia – every game is very important, and of course we want to get a result," goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein (Werder Bremen) said.
The team will be missing two key players due to injury, however: defender Maksim Paskotši (KAA Gent) and midfielder Mattias Käit (FC Thun) are both out.
Norway, who have so far won all six of their qualifying games and amassed a total of 29 goals, sit in first place, three points and three goals clear of Italy in second place. Both teams will be gunning for a win as a result; Italy is due to play Moldova away, while Norway are aiming to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998 and are playing before a home crowd on Thursday. While this is Estonia's last Group I match, Norway and Italy still have to play each other, with the Italians to host that match on Sunday, giving added impetus for Norway to come out firing on all cylinders.
Estonian goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein. Source: Ken Mürk/ERR
"It is clear that they're in very good form and highly motivated, as they have a great opportunity to make it to the World Cup finals. We have three or four days to prepare, and we'll try to give our all to find a game plan that suits us and definitely go to Oslo to fight," Hein went on.
Meanwhile winger Vlasi Sinjavski (Bohemians 1905) considers Norway to be top 10 or top 15 teams currently, not least with the presence of Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who also scored against Estonia in June.
This year alone, Haaland has already netted 13 goals for his country. "How to stop him? If I knew that formula, it would be easy, but we'll try. Every player will give everything, I think. At the end of the day, we'll see what we can do against them away, but they have so much quality. As long as it stays 0–0, we have chances," Sinjavski said.
Haaland's father, Alfie, played for Norway at the 1994 World Cup finals, also in the U.S.
Sinjavski himself had a couple of good chances in the Estonia–Norway game and is going to be playing in a different position from usual on Thursday, namely at full-back position. Come what may he says he expects a demanding match both in attack and defense. "The game against Italy wasn't easy either, where I played left-back in the second half. But if the coach trusts me and puts me in that position, then it certainly won't be an easy game."
Kick-off is at 7 p.m. ERR News is live-linking to ETV2 coverage of the big match from 6.50 p.m. Thursday, and also next week's friendly against Cyprus.
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