scifo helps belgium to overcome yugoslavia published: saturday 4 october 2003, 14.00cet
georges grün and erwin vandenbergh scored the goals, though enzo scifo, the youngest player ever to appear in the finals, also caught the eye.
runners-up four years previously, belgium got their 1984 campaign underway with a 2-0 victory against yugoslavia.
shorn of a clutch of key defenders, any deficiencies in the belgian back line were nevertheless masked by the midfield touch of 18-year-old enzo scifo. the youngest player ever to appear in the finals, scifo was instrumental throughout. it was his corner which allowed georges grün, on his international debut, to head belgium into a two-goal lead just after half-time.
erwin vandenbergh was the man who had set the ball rolling in the 28th minute, collecting walter de greef's pass, turning and shooting into the net via a deflection off srečko katanec. yugoslavia never managed to make their presence felt and made only one real chance of note, belgium goalkeeper jean-marie pfaff proving to be as reliable as ever when called upon.
