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Football: Advocaat begins Belgium reign with victory

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  • Football: Advocaat begins Belgium reign with victory

    UEFA.com

    Advocaat begins Belgium reign with victory
    Saturday 10 October 2009

    Match report by Berend Scholten from Stade Roi Baudouin

    Dick Advocaat made a winning start as Belgium coach as two Emile
    Mpenza goals sent Turkey to defeat on the night their 2010 FIFA World
    Cup hopes ended.

    Turkey out
    Turkey's elimination was confirmed before kick-off as
    Bosnia-Herzegovina clinched second place in Group 5 with a 2-0 victory
    in Estonia. And they lost by that scoreline in Belgium's first
    competitive win since beating Armenia by the same scoreline here
    almost exactly a year ago.

    Belgium ahead
    Advocaat, whose appointment was brought forward three months so he
    could oversee Belgium's last qualifiers, gave Logan Bailly his senior
    debut in goal and appointed defender Thomas Vermaelen the new
    captain. Bailly was quickly tested by a shot from Ceyhun Eri?Å?, but
    on eight minutes Belgium were ahead, Mpenza sent through by Roland
    Lamah and confidently striking past Volkan Demirel. Demirel did punch
    away a Kevin Mirallas effort and the Turkey goalkeeper was also equal
    to another run from Mpzena. The visitors threatened too, Bailly
    stopping Nihat Kahveci's header.

    Victory secure
    The tempo dropped in the second half and although Demirel saved with
    his feet from Daniel Van Buyten, he was beaten again by Mpenza with
    six minutes left. Van Buyen played the ball from deep to Eden Hazard,
    who touched on to send Mpenza clear to double the lead. Having ended a
    run of five straight qualifying defeats, fourth-placed Belgium go to
    Estonia on Wednesday for their final pool game while Turkey, in third,
    play Armenia.

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