Belgium turned things around at the World Cup after a sluggish opening, finishing top of their group and setting up a Round of 32 meeting with Senegal on Wednesday. For the Red Devils, the draw is hardly an ideal one, and defender Zeno Debast admitted his team had not been anticipating a matchup against the African champions.
After taking only draws from their first two group fixtures against Egypt and Iran, Belgium finally found their rhythm in their last match, putting together their best performance of the group stage against a New Zealand side that posed a limited threat. That improvement brought confidence heading into the knockout rounds.
A dominant 5-1 victory over the Kiwis sealed first place in Group G for Belgium, and it meant they were initially set to play one of the teams finishing third. Up until the situation changed, Belgium were provisionally scheduled to face South Korea on Saturday.
However, the path to Belgium’s opponent shifted when the Democratic Republic of Congo staged a comeback win against Uzbekistan, which propelled them through and sent South Korea home. With the bracket now confirmed, Senegal became Belgium’s next opponents, though Debast insisted his squad would be ready regardless.
“It was a bit of a weird feeling, but we know it’s Senegal now and we have, I think, three days to prepare the game,” Debast said to reporters.
The centre-back added that Belgium’s players were eager to take on a team that had lifted the Africa Cup of Nations title, even though the tournament’s final honours were later awarded to Morocco. Debast suggested Senegal’s blend of physicality and tactical structure would make them a difficult opponent.
“Senegal is a really good team, I think they have some good physical and tactical parts (to their game) and they won also the African cup,” Debast told reporters.
He also pointed to Belgium’s own recent form as a foundation for the contest. “I think it will be a good game, knowing that we also have the qualities … if we are in good form and we continue in a positive way like our last game, I think it will be a very good game.”
Debast has yet to feature at the tournament due to a leg injury, but said recent medical checks had offered reassurance. “It was positive, everything is going as planned so we are positive,” he said. “I feel good, today I can partially take part in the team training so, yeah, it’s going good.”
