Benjamin Sesko has not scored for Slovenia since November 2024placeholder image
Benjamin Sesko has not scored for Slovenia since November 2024 | AFP via Getty Images
The latest international round-up as four Man Utd players were involved in World Cup qualification on Monday night.
Manchester United might not have as many players away on international duty next summer as they expected after the latest round of World Cup qualifiers.
Ruben Amorim would typically expect to have a reduced squad available for a pre-season tour in a summer with a major tournament, though three stars are at risk of missing out on a place at the World Cup after the latest batch of fixtures.
Four players were involved in qualification matches on Monday night, though only three of them got onto the pitch as their respective nations battled hard for crucial points in their pursuit of a trip to North America. Here is a look at the latest international round-up and what it means for United.
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Cameroon miss out on World Cup qualification
Manchester United duo Andre Onana and Bryan Mbeumo both played the entire match as Cameroon missed out on guaranteed World Cup qualification with a goalless draw against Angola on Monday evening.
The Indomitable Lions knew they had to defeat Angola and hope Cape Verde slipped up against Eswatini if they were to have any hope of topping Group D. In the end, Cameroon's draw was irrelevant, as Cape Verde topped the group with a 3-0 win to qualify for their first-ever World Cup.
It means Cameroon are likely to seal a play-off berth as they aim to qualify for the tournament, though it will depend on results elsewhere to confirm them as one of the top four group runners-up.
Sesko cuts a lonely figure
Elsewhere, Benjamin Sesko cut a 'lonely' figure as Slovenia were held to a goalless draw with Switzerland in their own qualification campaign. The result leaves his nation third in Group B and ensured they can no longer top the group even if they win their final two matches next month.
Slovenia sit four points behind Kosovo and must beat them at home to have any chance to secure a play-off spot. The result also means Sesko will have gone 12 months without an international goal by the next time they take to the field, having gone over 700 hours without a goal for his country.
National newspaper Ekipa gave Sesko a 6.5 rating out of 10 for his performance and said: “We don’t know, maybe he was singing that 20-year-old Akon hit – Lonely. He was too lonely for most of the game, sending the only chance into the outside of the net.”
The other United involvement saw Senne Lammens remain an unused substitute as Belgium took a step closer towards World Cup qualification with a 4-2 victory over Wales.
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