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World Cup: Koeman urges Netherlands to stay sharp in pursuit of knockout qualification
25th June, 2026 09:46 AM
Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has cautioned his players against underestimating Tunisia ahead of their final FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F encounter on Thursday, June 25, 2026, stressing that the North Africans will be eager to restore pride despite already being out of the tournament.
Speaking before the match on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Koeman said Tunisia’s difficult campaign and recent coaching change could motivate them to deliver a stronger performance in their final outing.
Tough encounter
“We’re expecting a tough match, because if a team plays two matches and gets two defeats, and they have a new coach, then you want to close off the tournament in a different way from the first two matches,” Koeman said during the pre-match media briefing.
“You want to turn around the results. So I’m expecting a reaction from that angle, and we need to be prepared for that.” The tactician said.
The Dutch side heads into the contest full of confidence after producing a dominant 5-1 triumph over Sweden last weekend. The convincing win propelled the Oranje to the summit of Group F thanks to a superior goal difference.
Both the Netherlands and Japan have collected four points from their opening two matches. However, the Dutch currently lead the group after bouncing back from a 2-2 draw against Japan in their opening fixture, where they surrendered a late goal. Tunisia, on the other hand, has suffered defeats in both of its matches and can no longer advance.
Even so, Koeman insisted there is no room for complacency, noting that football frequently produces unexpected outcomes.
“In football, anything is possible,” Koeman said when asked about the possibility of Tunisia causing an upset. “Perhaps up front we’re the favorites based on the performance in general, and the performance in this tournament. But you have to show what you’ve got time and time again.” He added.
He further emphasized the competitiveness of modern football, saying: “And then very often you see matches with results that are close run-ups. There is no one match that is easy. So we just expect a tough match, a tough game.”
When questioned about monitoring developments in the simultaneous Group F fixture between Japan and Sweden, Koeman made it clear that his team’s attention would remain on its own task.
“You have to focus on making sure you win the match. We would love to be first in the group, and of course the result will have an impact on that. But that’s not the most important thing. Playing this game for us is the most important thing.”
The 63-year-old coach, who returned to lead the national side for a second spell in 2023, reiterated that the Netherlands respects every opponent but approaches the tournament with confidence in its own abilities.
“Because we want to get very far in this tournament, we respect all of our opponents, whoever they are, and we’re not afraid of anyone, because we believe we’re a strong team,” he said.
“The best way to go about this is to take this one match at a time, and just be ready for whoever you have to face.” He said.
Squad rotation
Koeman also suggested that some squad members who have yet to feature could receive playing time against Tunisia. Nevertheless, he stressed that achieving victory and continuing to improve remain the team’s primary objectives.
“We want to be good, we want to become better as we progress in this tournament. Perhaps in the course of the game, you’ll make different choices based on the results in between,” he explained.
He concluded by saying: “We want to come out first, and we want to play well. If there is room to bring in players who haven’t had any time yet, that remains to be seen. But up front, we just want to play well.” He added.
