Jong Oranje keeps sight of the European Championships with victory in Slovenia

Jong Oranje keeps sight of the European Championships with victory in Slovenia

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Background

Ayoub Oufkir, who scored an important goal in the game against Slovenia, has established himself as a key player for Jong Oranje. With the support of players like Lequincio Zeefuik and David Pejicic, the Netherlands U21 showcases promising talents that have emerged from the AZ youth system. The success in Slovenia could further motivate Oufkir and his teammates to secure participation in the European Championship.

Why this is important

Jong Oranje's victory in Slovenia is crucial for qualifying for the 2027 European Championship. With this success, the Netherlands U21 national team remains in the race for second place in the group, which is necessary for the play-offs. However, Ayoub Oufkir and his teammates will have to win against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday and hope for Israel to make a mistake to keep their chances alive.

Key findings

• Jong Oranje keeps sight of the European Championships with victory in Slovenia.
• Jong Oranje wins 4-2 in Slovenia and keeps the chances of the 2027 European Championship open, but has to win on Tuesday and hope for a mistake by Israel.
• Jong Oranje houdt zicht op EK met winst in Slovenië, this day everything was better than that.

The Netherlands U21 national team did what was necessary to maintain their chances of taking part in the 2027 European Championship. In Slovenia, Michael Reiziger's team won 4-2. After this victory, Jong Oranje is in third place in the qualifying group, one point behind Israel. On Tuesday, the Netherlands U21 will play at home against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Israel will face group leaders Norway in a difficult away game. In order to finish second in the group and reach the 2027 European Championship via the play-offs, the Dutch U21s have to win their game and at the same time hope that their Israeli counterparts drop points. In the event of a tie, Israel would be ahead due to the better direct comparison. However, Jong Oranje, which again consisted of four basic players from the AZ youth, started the game in Maribor shaky. The Slovenians' first deep ball landed at striker David Pejicic, who was able to run completely freely towards the goal and scored to give Slovenia a 1-0 lead. A defeat would have meant that the Dutch U21s would officially have no chance of qualifying for the European Championship, so Reiziger's team had to react. And that's what it did: within a quarter of an hour the deficit had already been turned into a lead. The goals were scored by Ayoub Oufkir, who converted a rebound, and Lequincio Zeefuik, who scored to make it 2-1. Jong Oranje also went into half-time with this lead use. While the Dutch U21s played poorly in the first half, their performance at the start of the second half was catastrophic. After just two minutes, Heerenveen goalkeeper Bernt Klaverboer gave the ball away to an opposing player, who was then converted by the Slovenian U21 to make it 2-2. However, Jong Oranje did not let this unsettle him and, similar to the first half, he was able to score two goals within a short space of time. Substitute Ernest Poku, who has been playing for Besiktas since this season, scored first after an individual action and a shot that went over the inside bar into the goal. Just three minutes later, Kees Smit scored, who received a pass from Zeefuik and pushed the goal practically on the line, unstoppable for the goalkeeper. With these two goals, the Dutch U21s increased their lead to 4-2 and the victory was secured. Now the Jong Oranje can look forward to the all-important final round of qualification on Tuesday.

What happens next

Jong Oranje have a crucial home game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. At the same time, Israel has to compete against Norway, which is a challenge. Should the Dutch U21 win and leave Israel points, the team led by Michael Reiziger could qualify for the 2027 European Championship via the play-offs.

Frequently asked questions

What about Jong Oranje in Slovenia n happened?

Jong Oranje won 4-2 against Slovenia and secured their chances of taking part in the 2027 European Championship.

Who confirmed Jong Oranje's victory?

The victory was achieved by the U21 national team of the Netherlands under coach Michael Reiziger.

Why is the game against Slovenia important now?

The game was crucial as a defeat would have meant that Jong Oranje would have no chance of qualifying for the European Championship.

What changes are needed for Jong Oranje's next game?

Jong Oranje must win their next game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and hope Israel drops points in order to reach Euro 2027 via the play-offs.

How does Jong Oranje stand in the qualifying group?

After the win against Slovenia, Jong Oranje is in third place in the qualifying group, one point behind Israel.

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