Belgium opt to replace injured goalkeeper

Belgium's forward Divock Origi (left)
and Sweden's defender Rasmus
Bengtsson vie for the ball during
the friendly football match between
Sweden and Belgium at Friends
Arena in Solna, near Stockholm on
June 1, 2014.
Divock Okoth Origi was on Tuesday
included in Belgium's final squad
for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in
Brazil.
Origi, who is the son of former
Kenyan international Mike Okoth
Origi, had initially been included in
the 24-man provisional squad by
Belgium head coach Marc Wilmots
on May 13.
Kenyans had hopes that the 19-
year-old SC Lille forward would
turn up for the Harambee Stars
but numerous attempts by head
coach Adel Amrouche failed to
materialise as the forward agreed
to play for his country of birth.
Origi has already featured for
Belgium both in the youth and
senior levels with his latest playing
time coming in the last two
international friendly matches
against Sweden and the 5-1 routing
of Luxembourg late last month.
Meanwhile, Belgium coach Marc
Wilmots has made a last-minute
change in the goalkeeping
department to his 23-man squad
for the World Cup, the country's
Football Federation announced on
Tuesday.
Sammy Bossut, 28, of Zulte-
Waregem has been included at the
expense of Koen Casteels, of
German Bundesliga side
Hoffenheim, who has not
sufficiently recovered from a
fractured tibia in time.
"The 23-man list was submitted to
FIFA yesterday evening (Monday)
before midnight and included the
name of Koen Casteels," said a
statement on the Federation's
website.
"However, a test undertaken by
Casteels today showed that the
goalkeeper has not sufficiently
recovered in time to take part in
the World Cup."
Casteels suffered the injury
playing for Hoffenheim on April 6
and had surgery the following day.
FIFA rules allow for an injured
player to be replaced after their
June 2 squad deadline up to 24
hours before a team's first World
Cup game.
With Silvio Proto of champions
Anderlecht also injured, Bossut was
handed his first cap in last week's
friendly win against Luxembourg.
The rest of the Belgian squad will
be that announced by Wilmots 10
days ago, with veteran Club
Brugge midfielder Timmy Simons
and Radja Nainggolan of Roma the
most notable absentees, along with
injured Aston Villa striker
Christian Benteke.

oWORLD CUP SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois
(Atletico Madrid/ESP - on loan
from Chelsea/ENG), Simon
Mignolet (Liverpool/ENG), Sammy
Bossut (Zulte-Waregem)

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld
(Atletico Madrid/ESP), Anthony
Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Daniel
Van Buyten (Bayern Munich/GER),
Vincent Kompany (Manchester
City/ENG), Jan Vertonghen
(Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Thomas
Vermaelen (Arsenal/ENG), Nicolas
Lombaerts (Zenit Saint Petersburg/
RUS), Laurent Ciman (Standard
Liège)

Midfielders: Axel Witsel (Zenit
Saint Petersburg/RUS), Marouane
Fellaini (Manchester United/ENG),
Steven Defour (Porto/POR), Moussa
Dembélé, Nacer Chadli (both
Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Kevin De
Bruyne (Wolfsburg/GER)

Forwards: Romelu Lukaku
(Everton/ENG - on loan from
Chelsea/ENG), Divock Origi (Lille/
FRA), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/ENG),
Kevin Mirallas (Everton/ENG),
Dries Mertens (Napoli/ITA), Adnan
Januzaj (Manchester United/ENG).