Anthony Elanga makes Sweden debut in World Cup victory
As Sweden moved closer to the World Cup in Qatar, Anthony Elanga was summoned off the bench.
Anthony Elanga, a Manchester United midfielder, was called up off the bench for his international debut as Sweden moved closer to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Swedes defeated Czech Republic 1-0, captained by his United teammate Victor Lindelof.
That triumph in Solna’s Friends Arena has set up a showdown with Poland in the play-off final. Despite the high stakes, Elanga was named to the senior team for the first time and finished his first season with a five-minute cameo at the end of the game on Thursday night.
In a game with few clear-cut chances, Sweden needed extra time to defeat the Czechs. After 110 minutes, Robin Quaison scored the game-winning goal.
While Elanga’s first professional appearance came under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Academy graduate has seen more playing time since Ralf Rangnick took over as temporary manager in November.
This season, the Sweden teenager has made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals. But the 19-year-latest old’s achievement will be hard to top, as he came on in the last minutes in Solna, north of Stockholm, to replace RB Leipzig star Emil Forsberg.
A crucial match with Poland awaits Elanga and Lindelof. They were given an automatic berth to the play-off final when Russia was barred from World Cup qualifying owing to the conflict in Ukraine.
