November 15, (THEWILL) — Memphis Depay’s second-half equaliser earned the Netherlands a 1-1 draw against Poland in Warsaw, moving Ronald Koeman’s side closer to qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The forward poked home from close range after Kamil Grabara had initially saved Donyell Malen’s point-blank header, cancelling out Jakub Kaminski’s opener.
Poland had taken the lead moments before half-time when Kaminski finished through the legs of Bart Verbruggen. The 23-year-old converted after a give-and-go with Robert Lewandowski, appearing to capitalise on an earlier miss by Nicola Zalewski, who had failed to score from inside the six-yard area after 70 seconds despite Matty Cash’s excellent cross.
The Netherlands responded quickly following the interval through Depay’s close-range finish. Poland nearly restored their advantage when Lewandowski connected with another Cash delivery, but Verbruggen produced a crucial save to deny the striker.
Neither goalkeeper faced significant tests in the final stages at Stadion Narodowy. The result leaves the Netherlands three points clear of Poland with one qualification match remaining, alongside a commanding 13-goal advantage.
Koeman’s side need only avoid defeatpin their final qualifier to confirm their place at the tournament. Poland must overturn both the points gap and the substantial goal difference to qualify automatically.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
