Wrexham’s Kieffer Moore has become one of the most important players in the Wales squad, and once again he is expected to play a key role in the World Cup qualifier against Belgium.
The national media praised Moore highly after his performance against England despite their loss to the Three Lions, as he worked tirelessly up front.
Losing to the old enemy will be disappointing for the Welsh manager after they failed to match Craig Bellamy’s unique demand for his Wales side to emulate the 2011 performance under Gary Speed when they came so close to winning at Wembley.
However, this match is not important in their hopes of making the World Cup, with Kieffer Moore set to play a pivotal role in helping his nation make this competition next summer, and in doing so, he can stop Belgium from matching a six-year record.
Kieffer Moore can stop Belgium from matching their consecutive clean sheet record
Belgium and Wales are set to clash in Cardiff on Monday, with it being a must-win game for both sides to help them in their goal of securing automatic qualification to the World Cup.
Wales are currently third on 10 points, while Belgium are second with 11 points, one point behind North Macedonia, meaning a win for either side will put them top and see them assume an advantage into the final set of qualifiers to confirm their place in the World Cup.
Belgium kept clean sheets in their last three matches in all competitions and will look to continue this against Wales, attempting to match their record between March and October 2019, when they had seven.
However, the Wrexham striker could be crucial to Wales ending this, as he will be the biggest goal threat for the hosts on Monday, as Moore is determined to improve his goal-scoring record for his nation.
Kieffer Moore’s World Cup ambition
The Wales international opted to represent Wales at international level, making his debut call-up in May 2019, despite having the chance to represent England, China and Italy at international level due to his parental heritage and with the striker being born in Torquay.
However, his decision to represent the nation of his grandfather has led to a fantastic international career, helping Wales qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
The Welsh campaign in that tournament was not a memorable one, as they finished bottom of their group after drawing with the USA but lost to both Iran and England, so Moore will be determined to help them qualify for the 2026 tournament in North America to improve upon this performance.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “With the World Cup, I needed to make sure that I was at the best club to fit my profile, to be in the best headspace I could possibly be and really bring the best out myself.
“I want to help us get to the World Cup and, once we’re there, to have a big impact.”