Several black&green players were involved in qualifiers and friendlies around the world during the November international break. Luca Lipani was one of Italy’s U21 pillars in the two matches against Poland and Montenegro. In the first match in Katowice, which ended 2-1 for the hosts, the balck&green midfielder played the full 90 minutes. In the second match, a brilliant 4-1 away win against Montenegro, Lipani played 86 minutes and contributed significantly to the Azzurrini’s success. Nella seconda uscita, nel brillante 4-1 esterno contro il Montenegro, Lipani ha disputato 86 minuti contribuendo in maniera significativa al successo degli Azzurrini.

Ismael Koné also had two fixtures with the Canadian national team. In the 0-0 draw against Ecuador, he was substituted after 79 minutes, while in the following match against Venezuela, won 2-0 by Canada, the black&green midfielder scored the opening goal after 26 minutes before being sent off in the 60th minute after a foul.

Woyo Coulibaly‘s Mali, on the other hand, played only a friendly match, 0-0 against Jordan, in which the black&green full-back did not play. Meanwhile, Kristian Thorstvedt enjoyed a very satisfying international break. The midfielder came on in the 74th minute in the convincing 4-1 win over Estonia, while in the prestigious 4-1 win away to Italy, he started the game, staying on the pitch for 75 minutes and proving to be one of the players most used by coach Ståle Solbakken during this break. This success also secured Norway’s spot in the 2026 World Cup.

The World Cup is still within reach for Arijanet Murić. The goalkeeper did not take part in the 2-0 away win against Slovenia, but started in the 1-1 home draw against Switzerland, delivering a solid performance between the posts. Meanwhile, Tarik Muharemović played 180 minutes in Bosnia’s two games, both as a starter: first in the 3-1 home win against Romania, then in the 1-1 draw away to Austria. Two solid and authoritative performances that keep his national team’s World Cup playoff hopes alive.

Scotland, home to Josh Doig, have already clinched a spot in the World Cup, finishing the group stage with 13 points: the black&green full-back did not appear in the matches against Greece and Denmark.

Source: CanadaSoccer