AliousMonday night brought a range of outcomes for the three Rangers players representing their national teams.
It’s been a positive week so far for some of the Ibrox contingent. Midfielder Nico Raskin was met with a standing ovation during his full debut for Belgium, contributing to a convincing 3-0 win against Ukraine. This result sealed a 4-3 aggregate triumph in their Nations League play-off.
Meanwhile, winger Rabbi Matondo, currently on loan at Hannover 96, marked his 13th appearance for Wales with his first international goal, aiding a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier.
Ianis Hagi also has reason to return to Glasgow in high spirits after ending a year-long goal drought for Romania. He scored from a penalty in the 75th minute during a 5-1 rout of San Marino in their World Cup qualifier, notching his sixth goal in 47 caps.
The strike came shortly after San Marino briefly reduced the deficit, with Hagi’s last goal for Romania having been in a 3-2 friendly loss to Colombia in March 2024.
Former Hearts and St Mirren defender Mihai Popescu was another name on the scoresheet as Romania recovered from their 1-0 home loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina the previous Friday.
Albania, too, bounced back from a defeat to England earlier in the week, securing a 3-0 home win against Andorra in their latest World Cup qualifier. However, it was a disappointing evening for Rangers forward Nedim Bajrami, who remained an unused substitute throughout the match.
This was an unexpected turn for the 26-year-old, who has scored six times in 33 caps and had played in all of Albania’s previous 23 games since September 2023. His benching followed a substitution in the 63rd minute of Albania’s 2-0 loss to England at Wembley on Friday.
On a brighter note, Mohamed Diomande celebrated his first start for Ivory Coast, helping them to a 1-0 victory over Gambia in a World Cup qualifier.
The midfielder, who had previously come off the bench five times for his country, wasn’t originally named in the squad but earned a late call-up to replace the injured Hamed Traore.
Diomande played 68 minutes before being substituted, and one Ivory Coast supporter on X hailed him as the standout midfielder, noting a clear drop-off in the team’s midfield control after his exit.
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