TODAY: GROUP H - 10.0 Tunisia v Belgium Belgium coach Robert Waseige wants his side to go straight for the jugular in Oita today. After drawing their opening match against co-hosts Japan, the Red Devils will be keen to end a run of five games without a victory at World Cup finals.
"We must impose ourselves on the game very quickly," said Waseige. "If we don't and then don't win, we have a problem."
But the 62-year-old coach is keen that his players do not underestimate the challenge from Tunisia despite the fact the Africans opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Russia.
"We have to show some respect for Tunisia," he said.
But will Waseige stick to his guns and continue with midfielders Marc Wilmots and Gert Verheyen as a makeshift strike duo?
Or will he bow to pressure and draft in Wesley Sonck, the Belgian player of the year for 2001 who impressed as a substitute in Saitama? Waseige has hinted he will go for Sonck.
Tunisia are aware that another defeat is likely to consign them to their third first-phase exit in as many appearances at World Cup finals.
Coach Ammar Souayah, as well as his players, is on a steep learning curve. Goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel ruined his solid performance against Russia by making the mistake which led to their opener. Shortly afterwards Russia doubled their lead.
"Those are the kind of damaging situations we have to avoid," Boumnijel said.
Souayah is set to show faith in the starting line-up which succumbed to Russia, with Slim Ben Achour trusted with supplying the ammunition for strikers Ziad Jaziri and Adel Sellimi.
PROBABLE TEAMS
Tunisia: (5-3-2): Ali Boumnijel; Badra, Mkacher, Trabelsi, Bouzaiane, Jaidi; Gabsi, Bouazizi, Achour; Sellimi, Jaziri.
Belgium: (4-4-2): De Vlieger; Van Buyten, de Boeck, Peeters, Van der Heyden; Verheyen, Simons, Vermant, Goor; Sonck, Wilmots.
Referee: M Shield (Australia).
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