Once again, STVV proved a size too big for our Kemphans. Just like a few weeks ago, our Kemphans barely got into the game and it was all the time running after an elusive ball. Sunday’s game against Ghent will be very special. Those who did not needed to know why were not present on our globe lately.

KVC Westerlo

Interim coach Bart Goor immediately faced a tough challenge to field a competitive team. Replacing two suspended players was known in advance, but at the last practice session our internationals appeared to have minor ailments and it was decided to give them a rest.So no fewer than seven other names came into the eleven compared to the previous starting eleven against Genk. Gillekens, Jordanov, Tagir, Rommens, Haspolat, Van den Keybus and Frigan were thus allowed to start the match. Our U21 team also had to recruit boys (Raf Smekens, Candan Baskale and Zyon Vandekerckhove) to eventually reach the 20 selected. Replacing two suspended players was known in advance, but at the last practice session our internationals appeared to have minor ailments and it was decided to give them a rest.

So no fewer than seven other names came into the eleven compared to the previous starting eleven against Genk. Gillekens, Jordanov, Tagir, Rommens, Haspolat, Van den Keybus and Frigan were thus allowed to start the match. Our U21 team also had to recruit boys (Raf Smekens, Candan Baskale and Zyon Vandekerckhove) to eventually reach the 20 selected.

The very young Karol Borys (17 years old) was allowed to make his debut in the second half, research work revealed that he is only 12th youngest player to ever appear on the pitch, that honour is still held by Geert Thijs who was allowed to make his debut in KVC Westerlo’s main squad on 25 February 1987 at the age of 15. Fun fact is that Bart Goor, by the way, was the oldest player ever to don the jersey of our Kemphans.

For the game against Gent, Nacer Chadli, Emin Bayram and Jordan Bos are out and, as we mentioned last week, this is the ideal opportunity for our club to give playing opportunities to the boys who have not been given much of a chance this season and see what they have to offer. A case in point is the surely positive substitute Josimar Alcocer’s performance last week.

KAA Gent

The Buffaloes had to be content with a Play Off 2 ticket for the second year in a row. In the outward round, they were still in a nice third place with 5 points ahead of Club Brugge – who were 7th at the time – but after the sale of some basic pawns, such as Cuypers, Fofana and Orban, it was difficult to hang on to a three-point lead. After New Year, they played 13 games where only two were already won, including that 5-0 on the last matchday against Charleroi. Last week they also packed a five-goal haul, and appear to be back in great scoring form. Midfielder Gandelman scored as many as five goals in those 2 games, and it was also he who accounted for the 2 goals against our Kemphans at the Ghelamco Arena last January, including the equaliser in minute 97.

The last time they lost at the Kuipje was in the 2008-09 season due to our ex-coach Jonas De Roeck’s own goal, since then they have won 4 times and drawn 5 times in the following 9 clashes.

Wim Smet

The 41-year-old Antwerp native has already featured twice before this season at Kuipje. On matchday 12 against Union (1-3) and matchday 20 against RWDM (3-0). All-time this will be his 10th visit as chief referee in the Pearl of the Kempen, most of which ended in victories. Six times we were able to win and we drew once. For Gent, it will be the first time they have had him as referee this season, having already refereed 34 games for them earlier in his career. Another first will be Westerlo vs Gent for him, having already had Gent vs Westerlo twice on his CV. By the way, both games were lost by our Kemphians: in 2015 it was a dry 5-0 and in August 2022 it was 2-1.

Text and statistics: Peter Boons