It was a very successful evening for our Genk internationals in the Americas. In CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, there were good results for both Colombia and Ecuador, and Carlos Cuesta was again a star for the Colombians.
Colombia was faced with a difficult task, avoiding defeat in Montevideo, so as not to slip too far behind the teams at the top of the table. National team coach Reinaldo Rueda made a somewhat surprising decision, putting Carlos Cuesta back into the starting eleven. Our tough defender had made a big impression in his first international match and had gained his manager’s confidence, even though other central defenders were now available. Carlos again excelled, as the Colombian football press once again praised Cuesta's performance: 'Cuesta convinces the national coach as a starter, offering a strong display in terms of his build-up play and acting the saviour in defence.' He played to the left of Yerry Mina (Everton), marking first Luis Suarez and then later Edinson Cavani. Carlos was strong in his duels, showed good anticipation, made several vital interceptions and also showed his ability with the ball, especially in playing out from the back. Daniel Muñoz and Jhon Lucumí did not feature.
Also in CONMEBOL qualifying, Ecuador easily beat Bolivia (3-0), with Angelo Preciado coming on shortly after the interval.
Mark McKenzie remained on the bench as the USA beat Jamaica 2-0, to stay top of the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Without Paul Onuachu, missing with an ankle injury, Nigeria lost surprisingly against the Central African Republic (0-1); the Super Eagles can take revenge in a few days.
Japan also lost without their Genk player, falling to Saudi Arabia, 1-0, as Junya Ito was suspended for an accumulation of bookings.