Mateus Fernandes helps Portugal reach the Under-21 Euros, Armend Muslika scores Albania’s winner and Yang Min-Hyeok prepares for an Asian Games final.
Mateus Fernandes led Portugal Under-21s to a 4-0 victory over Gibraltar, securing qualification for the 2027 European Under-21 Championship.
The midfielder captained his nation, completed the match, and supplied the corner for Goncalo Oliveira’s late header. He then played a part in the move that produced Portugal’s fourth goal, with Javan Peacock turning Afonso Moreira’s cross into his own net. Victory in the Azores guaranteed Portugal first place in Group B with one qualifier remaining.
Armend Muslika delivered another memorable contribution for Albania Under-19s. Introduced during the first half against Lithuania, he won and converted a penalty in the 96th minute to secure a 3-2 victory. Albania trailed 2-1 with only three minutes of normal time remaining.
It’s been a fantastic start to the season for Muslika as he continues to impress under Jamie Carr and Spurs Under-18s.
Oscar Sandiford and Phoenix Offiah also found success with England Under-18s. England recovered from conceding first to beat South Korea 2-1 at the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. Sandiford played throughout, while Offiah entered after an hour.
Yang Min-Hyeok, meanwhile, has an Asian Games final to look forward to. South Korea Under-23s defeated China 2-1 in their semi-final on 30 September, recovering from a goal down while the on-loan Tottenham winger remained an unused substitute.
South Korea will face Japan on Saturday, 3 October, with kick-off scheduled for 11.30am UK time. Japan advanced after overcoming Uzbekistan on penalties. Yang has already featured against Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Vietnam during the competition. Former Spurs captain Heung-Min Son won Asian Games gold with South Korea in 2018, and Yang will hope to continue in his footsteps with a win.
Upcoming fixtures for Spurs Internationals
Archie Gray’s England Under-21s are scheduled to meet Slovakia on 2 October before travelling to face the Republic of Ireland on 6 October. Mathys Tel’s France Under-21s have games against Luxembourg and Switzerland, while Fernandes’ Portugal conclude their qualifying campaign against the Czech Republic on 6 October.
At senior level, Lucas Bergvall and Radu Dragusin could find themselves on opposite sides when Romania host Sweden on 5 October. Guglielmo Vicario and Sandro Tonali are listed for Italy’s matches against France and Turkey. Ben Davies’ Wales, Micky van de Ven’s Netherlands and Kevin Danso’s Austria also have Nations League fixtures scheduled.
Elsewhere, Rodrigo Bentancur’s Uruguay are due to visit India on 6 October. Pape Matar Sarr’s Senegal have a friendly against Comoros, while Mikey Moore’s England Under-20s are scheduled to face Germany on 3 October.
