World Cup 2026: Belgium defender Brandon Mechele reflects on Egypt draw, admits first half struggles

Belgium defender Brandon Mechele has offered an honest assessment of his side’s 1-1 draw with Egypt national football team in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday evening.

The Group Seven encounter, played at the Lomenfield Stadium, saw both sides share the points after a competitive and emotionally charged contest that swung in momentum across both halves.

Speaking after the match, Mechele admitted Belgium were below their usual standards in the first half, particularly in defensive duels and passing accuracy, which prevented them from controlling the rhythm of the game.

“We were too lenient with them in terms of tackles in the first half and lost a lot of them,” Mechele said. “We weren’t accurate in our passes, which led to our inability to impose our rhythm.”

He added that Belgium showed a marked improvement after the break, becoming more aggressive and quicker in possession, but lamented their failure to convert chances into a winning goal.

“We were more enthusiastic and more aggressive in the second half. We played faster,” he explained. “You can’t predict what will happen in the first match. Maybe tension played a role. We corrected things, but it’s unfortunate we didn’t get all the points.”

Despite the disappointment of dropping points, Mechele remained positive about Belgium’s second-half response, insisting the team created enough opportunities to win the match.

“We created many dangerous chances in the second half, but unfortunately we didn’t score another goal,” he said.

The defender also praised his partnership in central defence, highlighting the organisation of the backline as Belgium attempted to deal with Egypt’s attacking threats, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

“My work with Nathan Ngoy in defence was good,” Mechele noted. “We were well organised, especially in the second half, and the whole team was solid defensively.”

The result leaves both Belgium and Egypt with work to do in Group Seven as they look to secure qualification to the knockout stages, with Mechele insisting focus now shifts quickly to the next fixture.

“We have another game ahead of us,” he concluded. “We did our best, but now we must move forward.”