Both sides were involved in warm up friendlies last week, with Belgium suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat against Egypt, while the Voyageurs got the better of Japan with a similar scoreline.
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Belgium will kick off their FIFA World Cup campaign against Canada in a Group F fixture at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday night. For the Red Devils, this represents the final chance for a lot of their ‘ Golden Generation’ to win a major tournament. Meanwhile, Canada will play their first World Cup match in 36 years. Both sides were involved in warm up friendlies last week, with Belgium suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat against Egypt, while the Voyageurs got the better of Japan with a similar scoreline.
Our quest for the #WorldCup starts today! 🔱 #DEVILTIME #BELCAN #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/PUG00vLLQu
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 23, 2022
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez would be under immense pressure to deliver a trophy because of the plethora of talent at his disposal. The Red devils qualified with consummate ease, going undefeated in 8 UEFA qualifying games, winning six of them and averaging over three goals per game. But Roberto Martinez’s side more often or not have faltered at the big stage, having lost to Italy and Netherlands in the Euro 2020 and Nations League finals respectively. In the last edition of the World Cup in Russia, the Red Devils reached the semi-finals, where they lost 1-0 to eventual champions France. There is no doubting the talent they have, but going forward, Martinez’ ability to find the right combination against bigger teams in the knockout stages will be key to their success.
Canada, on the other hand, are high on confidence and would be desperate to make their mark on the global stage. The Reds earned a spot in the finals courtesy of finishing on top of the CONCACAF qualifying group. John Herdman’s side were brilliant during the qualifiers, having scored the most number of goals and conceded the fewest. For a largely young and inexperienced squad at their level, Canada can play without any pressure of expectations and can express themselves. Their only previous finals appearance came in 1986, losing all three games without scoring.
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The big concern for Belgium has been the fitness of talismanic striker Romelu Lukaku, and the Inter Milan-man will not feature in their opening match. Therefore, Batshuayi is expected to spearhead the attack, with Eden Hazard in support. Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne is likely to operate behind the strikers. Yannick Carrasco and Timothy Castagne could occupy the finals, with Axel Witsel and Hans Vanaken forming the midfield-duo. As for Canada, Bayern Munich-man Alphonso Davies is doubtful for Wednesday’s fixture because of a hamstring injury. David and Larin might form the attacking-duo.
Belgium probable starting lineup: Courtois, Slderweireld, Vertonghen, Debast, Meunier, Tielemans, Witsel, Castagne, De Bruyne, Batshuayi, E Hazard
Canada probable starting lineup: Borjan, Lareya, Johnston, Steven, Vitoria, K Miller, Adekugbe, Buchanan, Hutchinson, Eustaquio, David, Larin
Belgium
| Opponents | Score |
| Egypt | 1-2 (W) |
| Netherlands | 1-0 (W) |
| Wales | 2-1 (W) |
| Poland | 0-1 (W) |
| Wales | 1-1 (D) |
Canada
| Opponents | Score |
| Japan | 1-2 (W) |
| Bahrain | 2-2 (D) |
| Uruguay | 2-0 (L) |
| Qatar | 0-2 (W) |
| Panama | 1-0 (L) |
The FIFA World Cup match between Belgium and Canada will take place at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium on Thursday at 12:30 am IST.
| Belgium vs Canada | Key details |
| Date | November 23 (Qatar) |
| Venue | Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Belgium | 8:00 pm ( Wednesday) |
| Kickoff time in Canada | 2:00 pm (Wednesday) |
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar can be seen on Sports18 – 1 SD & HD – in India. Sports 18 will be telecasting the games on the regular and HD Channels. Besides, Viacom18 Sports announced that JioCinema will live-stream all the World Cup games. Besides, the match between Belgium and Canada can be seen on La Une, rtbf,be/sport, RTBF Auvivo direct and Sporza in Belgium ; and RDS, CTV and TSN network in Canada.
