DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Many Canadian soccer followers have been ready for this second their complete lives.Lengthy an afterthought behind hockey of their residence nation, Canada’s soccer workforce is again within the World Cup for the primary time since 1986 and it opens Wednesday towards a frightening opponent: Belgium, a 2018 semifinalist and second within the FIFA rankings.“We don’t hope no extra, we consider,” Canada midfielder Jonathan Osorio mentioned. “And we’re very assured in ourselves.”Canada’s solely prior journey to soccer’s showcase was a scoreless, three-loss efficiency 36 years in the past towards France, Hungary and the Soviet Union, with a squad that included Bob Lenarduzzi, Tino Lettieri and Branko Segota.These Canadians are led by a brand new era headed by Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. They completed first in CONCACAF qualifying, a turnaround engineered by John Herdman. He coached the Canadan ladies to bronze medals within the 2012 and ’16 Olympics, then switched to the boys in 2018.“I feel in qualifying we performed in a approach the place we have been fearless and we need to do this on the most important stage,” midfielder Samuiel Piette mentioned. “We don’t need to again down. We need to be on the entrance foot and go toe to toe with Belgium.”A part of a Group F that features Croatia and Morocco, Belgium is in its seventh yr underneath coach Roberto Martinez. The Pink Devils completed third on the 2018 World Cup and misplaced to Italy within the quarterfinals of final yr’s European Championship.Its core could also be at or simply previous peak, with Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard each 31, Romelu Lukaku 29 and Youri Tielemans a part of the following age group at 25.“Belgium is a small nation, you recognize? So we’re very pleased that we have now this sort of expertise,” defender Toby Alderweireld mentioned.Herdman warns Belgium enters with much more expertise.“Once you’re developing towards De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku and Thielemans, these gamers can odor and sense the inexperience in gamers and take benefit,” Herdman mentioned.Davies, Canada’s high participant, is unsure after straining his proper hamstring whereas taking part in for Bayern Munich on Nov. 5.“We need to present that we’re a soccer nation, that we will compete with the most effective on this planet,” Osorio mentioned. “We need to shock individuals as a result of I feel individuals nonetheless see us as underdogs and issues like this, and Canada and the World Cup, they need to simply be pleased to be right here. However that’s not our mentality. We’re right here to compete — to compete at a excessive stage.”WITH THE WHISTLEJanny Sikazwe of Zambia will referee the match. Throughout a January African Cup of Nations match in January, he blew his whistle to finish the sport after 85 minutes, then restart it and ended it after 89 minutes, 47 seconds, when about three minutes of damage time had been anticipated.___