Belgium has ended the preparation for the World Cup in a disappointing way. In Kuwait, the team of national coach Roberto Martínez lost 1-2 to Egypt. Mostafa Mohamed and Mahmoud Hassan put the Egyptians on a 0-2 lead, after which ex-Vitessenaar Loïs Openda made it even more exciting. However, that was it, as a result of which Belgium had a disappointing dress rehearsal for the world championship.
On the side of Belgium, ex-Eredivisionist Toby Alderweireld, among others, started in the base, as well as strongholds such as Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Michy Batshuayi started in place of Romelu Lukaku, who is not fit and therefore also has to miss Belgium’s first World Cup match. Rui Vitória, national coach of Egypt, had made room in his starting eleven for star player Mohamed Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny.
The eager-looking Belgium saw that referee Ali Mahmoud was called to the screen by the VAR within five minutes, after an alleged handball from Ahmed Hegazy. However, the referee decided not to put the ball on the spot. After more than ten minutes the Red Devils really close to the opening goal for the first time, when Batshuayi hit the crossbar from a corner. Egypt had not shown much up to that point, but smelled 0-1 twice via Hassan in the following phase. Both times, however, Courtois was an obstacle. After more than half an hour, the Egyptians still took the lead, when Mohamed punished De Bruyne’s loss of the ball with a nice long shot: 0-1.
At halftime, Martínez decided to replace De Bruyne, Batshuayi and Hans Vanaken with Dries Mertens, Loïs Openda and Youri Tielemans respectively. However, they did not make a very nice entrance, because after 43 seconds in the second half it was already 0-2: Salah sent Hassan deep and the left winger outwitted Courtois. Fifteen minutes before the end, Belgium scored the tying goal via Openda on a pass from the well-playing Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, but the country did not get any further. With that, it will travel with a somewhat disappointed feeling to the World Cup, which will start against Canada next Wednesday evening for Belgium. Four days later, Morocco is the opponent, after which the last group match against Croatia is scheduled for December 1. Egypt failed to qualify for the global final tournament.