Kemphanen on international duty
The following Kemphanen have been called up to their national teams.
Arthur Piedfort has once again been called up to the Belgium U21 squad. The young midfielder has grown into a key player in Westerlo’s midfield this season: in 27 matches, he has recorded 2 goals and 3 assists. Head coach Gill Swerts has rewarded his performances with another selection.
The Young Red Devils will play two matches during this international break. Their first is an important qualifier for the 2027 European Championship against Austria on March 27 in Leuven. In their qualifying group, Belgium U21 currently share first place with 7 points, but both Austria and Denmark have the same number of points, making this a crucial match in the race for qualification.
Their second game is the “Low Countries derby” against the Netherlands, which will take place in Venlo on Monday, March 30.
27/3: vs Austria
30/3: vs Netherlands
Andreas Jungdal – Denmark
Our number one goalkeeper has received his first call-up to the Danish national team. Jungdal has already played 30 matches for our Kemphanen this season, without missing a single minute. In those games, he has kept 11 clean sheets, placing him second in the Jupiler Pro League clean sheet rankings. Only Kjell Scherpen of Union has done better with 12 clean sheets. Jungdal’s strong performances have now been rewarded with a first selection for Denmark’s senior team. He has previously represented several youth national teams.
Denmark are still competing for a World Cup spot and will play in the play-offs during this international break. On Thursday, March 26, they will face North Macedonia in the semi-final. If they win, they will play a निर्णсive match on Tuesday, March 31, against either the Czech Republic or Ireland for a place at the World Cup.
26/3: vs North Macedonia
31/3: vs Czech Republic or Ireland
Josimar Alcócer – Costa Rica
Our Costa Rican winger has also been selected to represent his country. This season, he has made 26 appearances for Westerlo, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists. Alcócer has already earned 30 caps for Costa Rica, recording 6 goals and 2 assists.
Costa Rica will play two friendly matches during this international break in Antalya, Turkey. On Friday, March 27, they will face Jordan, followed by a match against Iran on Tuesday, March 31.
27/3: vs Jordan
31/3: vs Iran
Afonso Patrão – Portugal (U19)
Newcomer Afonso Patrão has been called up to the Portugal U19 squad. Since his arrival, he has played three matches, showing some promising performances, although he has yet to score or register an assist.
Portugal will begin the second part of their European Championship qualifying campaign with an away match against Poland on Wednesday, March 25, followed by a home game against Serbia on Saturday, March 28.
25/3: vs Poland
28/3: vs Serbia
