Belgium to play Burkina Faso as part of World Cup buildup

Brussels, Belgium will host Burkina Faso in a friendly match next month as part of its World Cup preparations, reports AP.

The game scheduled March 29 at the Lotto Park, home of first-division club Anderlecht, will be the first time the nations square off. The Belgian federation announced the match on Thursday.

Belgium, FIFA’s top-ranked team, has another friendly scheduled three days earlier against Ireland in Dublin.

Burkina Faso recently made it to the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations.

“During the preparation for a World Cup, it is always good to play against countries from other continents,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said.

“With their semifinal spot at the African Cup, Burkina Faso has already shown that they will be an interesting opponent for the Red Devils.”

Last November, Belgium qualified for its third straight World Cup.

Source: Bahrain News Agency