BRUSSELS, Belgium: Kevin De Bruyne spared Belgium’s blushes after blowing a 3-0 lead to beat Wales 4-3 and kickstart the Red Devils’ 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Monday.
Goals from Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku inside half an hour had given Belgium a dream start.
Wales, though, rallied through a Harry Wilson penalty, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson to stun the side ranked eighth in the world.
But De Bruyne rode to his nation’s rescue, as he has so often in a stellar career, by steering in Tielemans’ perfect cross in the 88th minute.
Defeat was Craig Bellamy’s first as Wales manager as they fell just short of a national record of 10 matches unbeaten.
However, there remains plenty of positives for Wales’ hopes of reaching next year’s World Cup.
They sit second in Group J, one point behind North Macedonia, and three in front of Belgium, who have two games in hand.
Only one side will automatically qualify with second earning a place in the play-offs.
After a 1-1 draw at North Macedonia on Friday to begin their qualifying campaign, Rudi Garcia recalled three of his Premier League stars in Leandro Trossard, Amadou Onana and Tielemans and Belgium clicked into gear.
De Bruyne’s shot struck the arm of Johnson inside the area to give Lukaku the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot for his 89th international goal.
Tielemans rounded off a brilliant team move for the home side’s second moments later as he turned in Maxime De Cuyper’s low cross.
A dazzling solo effort from Doku compounded Wales’ woes as they seemed set for a second half of damage limitation.
However, Harry Wilson’s penalty reduced the visitors’ deficit in first half stoppage time after Matz Sels was controversially penalized for a clash with Chris Mepham.
Bellamy’s men were right back in the game when Wilson brilliantly picked out Thomas to slot home Wales’ second six minutes into the second period.
Johnson’s header completed the comeback 21 minutes from time, but the visitors were unable to hold out against Belgium’s superior firepower.
Lukaku had a second goal controversially ruled out for the ball being out of play in the build-up after a lengthy VAR review.
That proved to be a mere reprieve for Wales as moments later Tielemans’ cross picked out the unmarked De Bruyne to volley in at the back post.
De Bruyne secures Belgium win over Wales in seven-goal thriller
https://arab.news/9vvae
De Bruyne secures Belgium win over Wales in seven-goal thriller
- De Bruyne’s shot struck the arm of Johnson inside the area to give Lukaku the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot for his 89th international goal
The world needs to respect African football, Mali coach Saintfiet says
- “I think the world needs to respect African football” Saintfiet told Reuters
- “Football is not only played in England, or not only played in Germany or in Italy”
BAMAKO: African football deserves greater respect, Mali coach Tom Saintfiet said, after FIFA’s surprise decision to delay the release of players to their national teams ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
With less than three weeks until the tournament in Morocco, FIFA announced on Wednesday that clubs needed to release players only from December 15, a week later than the standard international window.
The 35th edition of the biennial tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18, was originally scheduled for the northern summer to avoid clashing with the European club season, but was later moved to winter.
“I think the world needs to respect African football” Saintfiet told Reuters in a Zoom interview on Wednesday.
Asked about the most suitable timing for the competition, he said: “There is never a perfect solution. If you talk, it’s in the middle of the season, then you think about the west European countries, the majority of them, but they are not ruling the world of football.
“Players who play in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Russia, they are at the end of the season, they have finished the season. So football is not only played in England, or not only played in Germany or in Italy.
“I think Africa has to do what they feel is the best. It has to do with climate... and I think the rest of the world has to start respecting Africa... there are rules (about) two weeks before the tournament and it’s never perfect.
“I mean if there’s a World Cup in June, July, there are other leagues who have to stop. Norway is in the middle of the league, Japan is in the middle of the league, Russia is in the middle of the league, or they are not playing World Cup,” he added.
FRIENDLIES CANCELLED
FIFA’s decision forced Mali to cancel planned friendlies before facing Zambia on December 22, followed by hosts Morocco and Comoros in Group A.
“We will see our players six days before the tournament. We have a different situation... All our players are foreign-based players, so it’s a big consequence for us,” said Saintfiet.
The 52-year-old Belgian coach, who also holds a Gambian passport, will participate in the tournament for the third time, having led Gambia to the quarter-finals in 2021 before they made an early exit in 2023.
He hopes Mali can go far, despite facing Morocco, who reached the 2022 World Cup semifinals, with two teams qualifying from each group.
“Morocco is the big favorite. Fantastic team, good development, fourth in the World Cup and now the host... we are not afraid of Morocco,” added Saintfiet.
“We really look forward to that game. But first we need to face Zambia and we need to be also focused in the last game against Comoros. So every game will be tough.”
The coach aims to restore the success of a team who finished second in 1972 and won bronze medals in 2012 and 2013.
“The aim is to go to the semifinal. We said that when I signed the contract. We are not scared to say that. We know there are many teams in Africa who can reach the semifinal,” said Saintfiet.
“We have to show Africa that we have very good players. And I think we have really good players. I hope everyone will be available. And I think I added as a coach also some tactical discipline and hopefully it’s good enough to reach our goal to play a minimum of the semifinal.”
Mali is the seventh African team Saintfiet has coached, after Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo and Gambia. When asked why he preferred Africa, he said he had chosen it willingly.
“Many European coaches come to Africa because they have no chances in Europe and they are having bad performances or no future anymore. For me, coming to Africa was a real choice. To make a career in Africa and because I love Africa.”
