A Closer Look At Our European Opponents

Connah’s Quay Nomads have been drawn to face FC Ballkani in the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League First Qualifying Round, and here our Club Journalist Adam Angerer takes a closer look at the Kosovar side as we prepare for our ninth European campaign.  

History

FC Ballkani represent the town of Suharekë in southern Kosovo, a municipality of approximately 60,000 residents situated around 35 miles south west of the capital, Pristina.

Nicknamed the Xhebrailat (The Gabriels), Ballkani were originally founded in 1947, just one year after Connah’s Quay Nomads were. They were fully registered in 1952 under the name FK Rinia but renamed to Ballkani in 1965. 

After significant corporate backing behind the scenes, the club eventually climbed the regional pyramid and reached the fourth tier in 1973. 

Fast forward 45 years and Ballkani gained promotion to the Kosovan top flight for the first time in 2018 and continued their remarkable rise with three consecutive league titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

European Experiences

During their epic run of league trophies, Ballkani made history by becoming the first club from Kosovo to qualify for the group stage of a major UEFA competition. That was the 2023/24 Conference League, where they finished bottom of their group, but claimed a monumental win over Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb. 

Ballkani failed to reach the group phase last season after defeat to Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers (4-1 agg). They are now preparing for their fourth consecutive European campaign against the Nomads, with the first leg set to take place in Wales on Thursday, 9 July before we travel to Kosovo for the second leg on Thursday, 16 July. 

Ballkani’s primary home is the Theranda City Stadium which has a capacity of around 1,500 - 2,000 fans. 

Their ground does not meet UEFA requirements, so their European matches are usually played at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina. The Nomads have of course played in the Kosovan capital before as we faced FC Prishtina in the 2021/22 Conference League Second Qualifying Round, where we lost 6-5 on aggregate across both legs. 

The Squad

Ballkani are currently managed by Croatian boss Mislav Karoglan, who has been at the helm since November 2025. Karoglan has won half of his 26 matches in charge so far and he has experience in his home country, managing Hajduk Split. 

The majority of Ballkani’s playing squad are Kosovo natives and European, but the club have attracted players from Brazil, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Algeria within recent years. 

There are similarities to the Nomads when we look at how Ballkani have built a strong squad under a new manager in order to secure a return to Europe. 

Our attacking force which was created by John Disney and his staff was a standout factor last season, with Max Woodcock, Callum West and Harry Franklin all having arguably their best seasons in football to date. 

Both sides have strengthened their squad with Darren Stephenson, Mikey Stone, Hussein Mehasseb and Iwan Murray all signing for the Nomads this summer, while Ballkani have welcomed back midfielder Edvin Ku?, who has made 12 appearances for thr Montenegro national team. 

Ballkani’s attack stole headlines in the AlbiMall Superliga last season, with the expierenced Almir Kryeziu topping the goal contributions chart with 25 goals and assists to his name. Ivorian striker Valentin Serebe scored 15 goals and also had the best goal-per-minute ratio in the league. Former Fluminese winger Giovanni scored eight goals and bagged seven assists, while goalkeeper Artan Ilazi kept 10 clean sheets. 

Ballkani were involved in the title race for the final few months of the season, but they were unable to capitalise on eventual champions FC Drita’s four consecutive losses at the end of the campaign as they themselves only managed to pick up three points from 15 available in May.

Looking Ahead

The Nomads and Ballkani will face off in the UEFA Conference League First Qualifying Round in a two-legged tie in July. 

We will host the first leg at Colwyn Bay’s Blue Turtle Arena on Wednesday, 8 July (6:30pm kick-off GMT) after UEFA consulted with both clubs to decide the most appropriate date. 

The second leg will be held at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo on Thursday, 16th July (7pm kick-off GMT). 

Date Published: Thursday, 25th June, 2026 - 2:00pm by Adam Angerer