On Saturday, the teams in Groups E and F will play their second matches of the World Cup, with some of Belgium's neighbours facing crucial games.
In Group F, the Netherlands face Sweden in Houston at 19:00 (Belgian time) after drawing their opening match against Japan. The Dutch will seek their first win of the tournament.
The Netherlands, led by coach Ronald Koeman, squandered the lead twice against Japan, prompting criticism of his substitutions. Despite this, Koeman called it a “top match” and accepted the result.
With Group F’s top spot in sight, the Netherlands can no longer afford to drop points. Sweden, meanwhile, opened with an emphatic 5-1 win against Tunisia, featuring two goals from Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari. They are in a strong position to advance but must still face tougher opponents in the Netherlands and Japan.
Japan play against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico, at 06:00 (Belgian time) on Sunday. After their impressive draw with the Netherlands, the Samurai Blue need a win to stay in contention for a top-two finish.
Former Sint-Truiden players Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada impressed with key goals, while goalkeeper Zion Suzuki shone. Tunisia, reeling from their heavy defeat to Sweden, have replaced manager Sabri Lamouchi with Hervé Renard in hopes of salvaging their tournament.
In Group E, Germany will take on Ivory Coast at 22:00 (Belgian time) in Toronto, Canada. The Germans dominated Curaçao 7-1 in their opener, with Kai Havertz scoring twice and Deniz Undav contributing a goal and two assists. They aim to solidify their path to Group E victory.
Ivory Coast began with a narrow 1-0 win over Ecuador and will benefit from Elye Wahi’s availability after receiving permission to enter Canada. Wahi, linked to allegations of match manipulation in Ligue 1, is a crucial player for the team. Despite the stakes, a loss wouldn’t spell disaster for the Ivorians, who still have Curaçao to play in the group.
Ecuador encounter Curaçao at 02:00 (Belgian time) in Kansas City, hoping to rebound from their defeat to Ivory Coast. The South Americans must secure a convincing win to keep their chances alive, with a final match against Germany looming.
For Curaçao, joy came in the form of their first-ever World Cup goal by Livano Comenencia, a moment of pride for the FIFA-ranked number 83 side.
Meanwhile, France will play Iraq on Monday night (23:00 Belgian time) after their convincing 3-1 win against Senegal.
