Hinna FK Overview

The Netherlands narrowly escaped a major setback in their final pre-World Cup friendly, securing a dramatic 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan in Manhattan. A late stoppage-time penalty from Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo spared the blushes for Ronald Koeman's side, though the hard-fought triumph was heavily overshadowed by significant squad injury concerns.

There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe as one country after another secured a spot at this summer's festival of football in North America. The final six participants were confirmed in March, with Sweden, Turkiye, Czechia and Bosnia & Herzegovina taking the four remaining slots in Europe, while Iraq and DR Congo came out of the inter-confederation play-offs.

Netherlands' World Cup preparations have been rocked by the news that Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has been forced to withdraw from the squad. Despite travelling to the United States with Ronald Koeman's side, the versatile defender has failed to overcome a persistent injury in time for the tournament opener.

Benni McCarthy, Aaron Mokoena and Quinton Fortune to lead studio coverage as SportyTV offers South Africans the complete World Cup experience for just R10.