Belgium plans to return to winning ways against Burkina Faso

 

After being held to a 2-2 draw by the Republic of Ireland in their last international game, Belgium will be bidding to return to winning ways when they play Burkina Faso in an international friendly on Tuesday night.

The Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw by the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. They are about to face a Burkina Faso side that was coming from a 5-0 defeat to Kosovo on Thursday.

Belgium were close to beating the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday but were unsuccessful. Hans Vanaken’s 58th-minute goal had separated both two sides until Alan Browne’s 85th-minute leveller.

Ahead of the UEFA Nations League campaign, which begins in June, Roberto Martinez’s side is hoping to put a victory on the board. They will begin at home against the Netherlands on June 3.

Having qualified comfortably for the finals of the 2022 World Cup after picking up 20 points from their eight matches to finish at the top of Group E ahead of Wales, the Red Devils will be looking to make an impression in the competition. The reason is not far-fetched, having finished third in the 2018 edition of the tournament.

Although their Euro 2020 campaign was a disappointment after losing to Italy in the quarter-finals, they will be expected to advance into the knockout round of this year’s World Cup.

Since Martinez decided to rest some of his regulars last time out, the manager is expected to have a look at the other options available, and many will be looking to make a positive impression on Tuesday night.

Burkina Faso have lost their last three matches in all competitions. Kamou Malo’s side finished 4th at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. They had lost  3-1 to Senegal in the semi-finals before being beaten by Cameroon on penalties in the third-place playoff.

Burkina Faso won’t be part of the 2022 World Cup and have never qualified for the Mundial. They finished second behind Algeria in Group A.

The last time the Stallions recorded a win was a 3-0 victory over Gabon in a friendly at the start of the year.

Many bookies expect the Belgians to match past the West African side.

 

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed