Sporting Kansas City defender Logan Ndenbe will join the Belgium U-21 Men’s National Team for friendly matches against regional rivals and world powerhouses Netherlands and France during the FIFA international window later this month.
Ndenbe and Belgium will host the Netherlands U-21s on Sept. 23 at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven. Three days later, head coach Jacky Mathijssen’s side will travel to face the France U-21s at Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes. Ndenbe will link up with his national team following Sporting’s home match against Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday (tickets).
Belgium U-21 Schedule
- Friday, Sept. 23 vs. Netherlands U-21 | 10:30 a.m. CT | Leuven, Belgium
- Monday, Sept. 26 vs. France U-21 | 2 p.m. CT | Valenciennes, France
A talented left back who signed for Sporting in January, Ndenbe most recently represented the Belgium U-21s in March when he helped the team to a 1-1 road draw against Denmark. The result effectively punched Belgium’s ticket to the 2023 UEFA Under-21 Championship, which will take place next summer from June 21 to July 8 in Romania and Georgia. Ndenbe featured in six of Belgium’s eight qualifying matches, starting four, as the country finished unbeaten in Group I with a 6-0-2 record and sealed a return to the UEFA Under-21 Championship after failing to qualify for the 2021 edition.
September’s friendly matches will serve as ample preparation for Belgium in its march to the 2023 UEFA Under-21 Championship, which will consist of 16 countries from across the continent. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2000, will be eligible to participate in the tournament, making the 22-year-old Ndenbe—born in February 2000—a strong candidate to compete in the biennial event.
Ndenbe has started 20 of 25 appearances for Sporting in all competitions during his debut MLS campaign in 2022, including starts in 19 of 22 league games. The left back has logged over 1,800 minutes in defense, tallied one assist, contributed to five shutouts and created 13 scoring chances in MLS play.
Born in Mouscron along Belgium’s border with France, Ndenbe joined Sporting after spending his first five professional seasons 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.
