Harry Kane saves England from embarrassment towards Andorra in World Cup qualifying

England’s Harry Kane scores the successful aim towards Andorra through the World Cup qualifying spherical match on June 7, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

England wanted a second-half aim from Harry Kane to safe a 1-0 win over lowly Andorra and preserve an ideal file beneath Thomas Tuchel after three World Cup qualifiers.

England was held scoreless by a crew ranked 173rd on the earth till Kane redirected a cross from Noni Madueke into the highest of the online within the fiftieth minute after the Bayern Munich striker’s preliminary effort was saved by goalkeeper Iker Álvarez.

“We should be higher for certain,” Kane stated. “It is not one which many will keep in mind, and we had good spells, however we take the three factors and transfer on.” It was aim No. 72 in his 106th look for the Three Lions.

Tuchel’s aspect remained prime of Europe’s Group Ok with 9 factors after wins towards Albania and Latvia. They’ve but to concede a aim beneath the German coach.

However, Tuchel stated that he was “not completely satisfied” with the slim win over tiny Andorra, which has a inhabitants of round 80,000.

“On the finish of it, it was completely not OK as a result of we misplaced focus and we misplaced the urgency that’s wanted,” he stated.

Andorra remained winless however managed to frustrate England’s stars for a lot of the recreation with its five-man line of defense. Ezri Konsa needed to block a late shot by Andorra’s Guillaume Lopez to stop the prospect of an equalizer.

“We stored giving it away and that gave them a little bit of confidence and power,” Kane stated. “At 1-0 with 5 to 10 minutes to go you must watch out.” England dominated possession and Eberechi Eze went near a second aim when he pressured Álvarez to tip his header of the bar because the guests could not lengthen the lead.

England had received its earlier six conferences with Andorra by a mixed rating of 25-0.

“When it comes to effort, I believe I could not be prouder of my crew and the way they carried it out,” Andorra coach Koldo Álvarez stated.

The sport was performed at Espanyol’s stadium in Barcelona, almost three hours south of the Pyrenees principality as a consequence of considerations that work on Andorra’s dwelling stadium would not be completed in time.

Solely the group winners qualify immediately for subsequent 12 months’s match in North America. The second-placed groups go right into a playoffs.

Europe could have 16 groups within the expanded 48-team discipline for the World Cup. The group stage of European qualifying runs by way of November.

England will subsequent host Senegal in a pleasant on Tuesday.

Albania and Serbia draw beneath tight securityAlbania and Serbia drew 0-0 within the newest chapter of a charged rivalry rooted in deep historic and ethnic tensions between the Balkan neighbors.

Serbia goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic saved a penalty kick by Rey Manaj in the very best probability of the sport, which was performed with out Serbian followers as decided by UEFA for safety considerations.

Albania is second in Group Ok behind England with 4 factors after three video games.

There have been few possibilities within the match performed beneath tight safety, with greater than 2,000 cops guarding the capital.

Albanian followers loudly whistled when the Serbian anthem was performed and shouted Kosovo, which predominantly has an ethnic Albanian inhabitants and which was a part of Serbia till 1999 when a NATO air marketing campaign pushed Serb forces and authorities out.

Some followers tossed beer cups on the Serbian gamers, regardless of repeated requires them to cease.

A 2014 recreation between the groups in Belgrade was deserted when a drone carrying an Albanian flag sparked a full-scale brawl. The final time they met on Albanian soil was in 2015.

Veteran Dzeko scores for BosniaA aim from 39-year-old Edin Dzeko gave Bosnia and Herzegovina a 1-0 win over San Marino.

The Balkan republic leads Group H with three wins, whereas San Marino is backside with zero factors.

Austria beat Romania 2-1 in the identical group as Michael Gregoritsch and Marcel Sabitzer scored for the hosts earlier than Denis Alibec halved the distinction in damage time.

Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries supplied the scoring for the Netherlands in a 2-0 win at Finland to begin their qualifying marketing campaign in Group G.

Lithuania was held 0-0 at Malta additionally in Group G. (AP) ATK