Amadou Onana faces Senegal: a personal clash at World Cup

A Belgian victory over Senegal on Wednesday at 22:00 would propel the Red Devils into the quarter‑finals of the 2026 World Cup, while a defeat would end their tournament. Midfielder Amadou Onana, who entered for Kevin De Bruyne against New Zealand (1‑5), faces his birth nation in this decisive round‑of‑16 clash. Belgium will face Senegal on Wednesday at 22:00 in the round of 16, a match that decides which side reaches the quarter‑finals. The Belgian side enters as a slight favourite but must respect the African Cup of Nations finalist that Senegal represents. Amadou Onana was born in Dakar, Senegal, and began playing football on the streets of the capital. He moved to Belgium at the age of eleven, joining the flat country’s football system. "During the draw I thought: ‘Please, don’t make me play against them. Put me France, anything, but not Senegal.’" he said in a conversation with Just Riadh, expressing his wish to avoid the fixture.

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In March, YouTuber Just Riadh released a 48‑hour video that followed Onana’s daily routine at Aston Villa. The footage also revealed the midfielder’s affection for his second nation. "I arrived in this country at 11 as a black immigrant and Muslim. Thanks to football, I could play the World Cup," he told The Players' Tribune in early June. Onana recalled his first World Cup appearance against Morocco, noting that the Qatar crowd was about 90 % Moroccan in red. He spotted his mother and sisters in the stands and they waved to him.

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Against New Zealand, which ended 1‑5, Onana began on the bench and replaced Kevin De Bruyne in the 72nd minute. The substitution gave him a brief spell in the tournament before the Senegal encounter. The winner of the Belgium‑Senegal tie will meet the victor of the United States versus Bosnia‑Herzegovina clash, scheduled for 02:00 the following night. That subsequent match will determine the semi‑final opponent.