World Cup Roundup: Anarbekov Produces Heroics To Deny Belgium

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The Kazakhstan goalkeeper, Temirlan Anarbekov, made a bid of stunning saves to contradict Belgium nan opportunity to clinch World Cup qualification arsenic they drew 1-1 successful their Group J crippled astatine nan Astana Arena. Belgium are still heavy fancied to triumph nan group and book a berth astatine adjacent year’s tourney erstwhile they decorativeness their qualifying run astatine location to Liechtenstein connected Tuesday. The tie near them 2 points clear of second-placed North Macedonia.

Belgium had to travel from down aft Kazakhstan, who were down to 10 men for nan past 11 minutes, scored early done nan 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev earlier Hans Vanaken equalised early successful nan 2nd half. A sloppy walk from Arthur Theate allowed nan teen to carnivore down connected nan Belgian extremity and sprout into a spread goalkeeper Matz Sels near astatine his adjacent post.

That was followed by sustained Belgian unit and a bid of fantabulous saves from Anarbekov, who denied Vanaken, Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere successful nan first half. Three minutes into nan 2nd half, skipper Vanaken stole successful betwixt nan location defence to easy caput location from Timothy Castagne’s transverse and level nan scores, pinch nan goalkeeper having nary chance to prevention it.

Kazakhstan were down to 10 men erstwhile Islam Chesnokov was dismissed for a travel from down connected Jérémy Doku. Initially, he was shown a yellowish paper but aft a reappraisal nan Lithuanian referee, Donatas Rumsas, upgraded it to red.

Belgium thought they had won nan game, and secured World Cup qualification, successful nan past infinitesimal erstwhile Nicolas Raskin had a chance successful beforehand of goal, but Anarbekov pulled disconnected different point-blank prevention to contradict him.

Later, Spain tin suffice from Group E pinch a triumph successful Georgia if Turkey neglect to hit Bulgaria, though superior extremity quality intends nan Spanish would beryllium each but done wth immoderate win. Austria, nan Group H leaders, are successful Cyprus, knowing a triumph would put unit connected Bosnia and Herzegovina to triumph their nighttime lucifer astatine location to Romania.

Denmark, up of Scotland successful Group C, are successful a precocious kick-off astatine location to Belarus, needing a triumph to corroborate they stay up of Steve Clarke’s side, whose sojourn to Greece takes spot simultaneously. A triumph for Switzerland against Sweden successful Geneva will guarantee qualification from Group B if Kosovo neglect to triumph successful Slovenia.