Claudio Kammerknecht of third-division soccer club Dynamo Dresden is about to make his debut for the Sri Lankan national team. The defender is set to make his first appearance for his mother's homeland on Friday against Papua New Guinea in the capital Colombo. "It's good to see something different, the processes are different. But I already know that it's something crazy," the 24-year-old told the Sächsische Zeitung newspaper.
Kammerknecht had already taken part in a training course for the selection in September 2022, but no match took place. After the match against Papua New Guinea, there is still a match against Bhutan on Monday. Kammerknecht is then expected back in Dresden on Tuesday.
The trip to his mother's homeland, 8,000 kilometers away, was possible for Kammerknecht as Dynamo are only active in the national cup. "I spoke to the coach. If it had been a championship game, I probably wouldn't have made it. I already know that I'm not at a recreational club here," said the full-back. Five days after his return to Germany, Dresden face in-form Preußen Münster, who are just two points behind them.
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