Share

Second training session called off for Belgium

Cape Town - The Belgian national team will not train for a second day following the Brussels bomb attacks, calling off a scheduled session on Wednesday in the wake of the deaths of at least 30 people, the country's football association said.

The team, who are preparing for a friendly in Brussels against Portugal on March 29, had called off a session on Tuesday soon after the blasts at the Zaventem airport and on a rush-hour metro train.

They had planned a session on Wednesday morning but decided to also call that off. They were still considering a run out on Wednesday afternoon.

The game against the Portuguese, set for the King Baudouin Stadium, remains in jeopardy, although Belgian press reports said coach Marc Wilmots and players wanted to go ahead with the game and had rejected a possible plan to move it to Portugal.

"We had been in contact with the Portuguese for much of Tuesday and consulted several different security authorities, although understandably they have been absorbed with more urgent matters," a statement from the Belgian football association KBVB said.

"We will attempt to give more information as quickly as we can."

Belgium, who are one of the favourites for the June-July European Championship in France, had their last international against Spain in November cancelled in the wake of the Paris attacks.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 826 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 409 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE