The Young Devils closed their internship in Spain on Monday with a 3-2 win against Japan, so that they could close their last meeting for next summer’s European Championship with a good feeling. However, it remains to be seen whether Jacky Mathijssen will still be able to count on all his taste makers, because a number of players are being pulled.
In recent months, Mathijssen has already seen players such as Onana, De Ketelaere, Openda, Bakayoko and Lavia move on to the A-team, while Anass Zaroury opted for Morocco. A number of other players can also choose another country. For example, Michel-Ange Balikwisha is courted by Congo, where his older brother William made his debut last week.
But for the time being, the attacker of Antwerp is not yet thinking about that choice. “At the moment I am only concerned with the European Championship, like everyone else. I will have to perform for it at my club, so that the national coach selects me. I have participated in the entire qualifying campaign, so it would hurt not to be there. I must therefore be top in the league to enforce my place in the U21.”
CHOOSE AFTER THE EURO
After the summer, however, the cards are different. “I am now focusing on the Young Devils and the European Championship, that is my priority now. I will make my final choice later, I am not thinking about Congo at the moment. I have not spoken to William about it. He was not called up in Belgium, so he went to Congo,” he added RTBF.
