Vitesse Obenda striker for the first time with the Belgian national team; debut against Orange beckons | football

“Amadou and Luis deserve to be chosen,” Martinez said during a news conference. “Lois Openda is a very fast player. He showed a lot of maturity in Holland. He has qualities that were not on our list. Now is the time to bring him in.”

Openda finished this season as the second highest scorer in the Eredivisie, behind Ajax player Sebastian Haller. The 22-year-old Vitesse striker scored eighteen goals.

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On the Vitesse website, Openda proudly responds to his election. “This is great news. I have been dreaming about this since I was young. I used to watch players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Yannick Carrasco and now I am in the Belgian squad myself.” “Did you see it coming? I knew I was in the picture, but I also had to be patient. I wasn’t forced to. But of course I am very happy with the opportunity. It feels like a reward.”

In total, Martinez called up 32 players for the Nations League matches against the Netherlands, Poland and Wales. Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku are among the shortlisted. The risk also returns after ankle surgery. Divock Origi and Christian Benteke are missing.

And the Spanish coach, during the press conference, warned his players that a mid-term move from the club during the summer transfer period could reduce the chances of getting a place in the World Cup squad. According to Martinez, the timing of the World Cup in Qatar, in November and December, causes a lot of uncertainty between the coaches and their planning. “Be careful not to take a step during this period that could harm your career,” he says. “If you change clubs, it brings uncertainty. You have to adapt to a new language, a new culture, a new way of playing football. I have already entered the World Cup in 16 weeks, and that is an aspect to think about. The period after the World Cup is probably the best time. for a potential change,” says Martinez.

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