Sporting Kansas City left back Logan Ndenbe has been selected to the Belgium U-21 Men’s National Team for a pivotal 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying match versus Denmark on Tuesday, March 29. The contest is slated for 1 p.m. CT at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark.
Ndenbe and the Belgium U-21s sit atop Group I with a perfect 6-0-0 record in qualifying and can punch their ticket to the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a win or a draw against the Danes during the March FIFA international window.
Ndenbe earned his Belgium U-21 debut last June for his first of five appearances in European Championship qualifying. The defender has started in each of the team’s last three games since Oct. 12, logging the full 90 minutes in shutout wins over Denmark, Turkey and Scotland.Â
The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship will take place from June 9 to July 2 next year in Romania and Georgia. The two host countries will be joined by 14 other nations to round out the 16-team field. Belgium is in prime position to qualify for the event, boasting a nine-point lead atop Group I. The Belgians are already assured of a top-two finish in the group, with the second-place team advancing to a qualification playoff later this year. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2000, are eligible to compete in the tournament.
Acquired in January following a transfer from French club Guingamp, Ndenbe has started in each of Sporting’s first three matches this season. The 22-year-old left back is the first Belgian-born player in Sporting history. He has completed 89.3% of his passes through Week 3, including an 85.4% clip in the attacking third, and has won 55% of his duels.
Ndenbe will link up with the Belgium U-21s following Sporting’s road match against Chicago Fire FC at 5 p.m. CT Saturday on 38 The Spot, the Sporting KC app and SportingKC.com.
Ndenbe joined Sporting after spending his first five professional seasons in Europe with Belgian top-flight side KV Oostende and French club Guingamp. He has made nearly 50 professional appearances since 2017.
Ndenbe began his youth international career by playing eight matches for the Belgium U-17s in 2017, including starts in three qualifiers for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in March of that year. He then jumped to the Belgian U-18 squad, where he made four friendly appearances from November 2017 to March 2018.
