KVC Westerlo – R. Union S.G.

The 2026/27 season is just around the corner. With a new league format, updated laws of the game and plenty of fresh faces at Westerlo. On Saturday at 8:45 pm, last season’s runners-up Union await in what promises to be a tough opening match.

KVC Westerlo

It has been anything but a quiet summer at ’t Kuipje. No fewer than twelve players have left the club. Roman Neustädter retired from professional football and joined Issame Charaï’s coaching staff. And where there are departures, there are arrivals.

Westerlo have already welcomed ten new signings, including four Belgians. With Bassette, Westerlo have added a new goalscorer,  while Sandra brings extra creativity to the midfield. Jungdal will compete with Lathouwers, while left-back Fabio Ferraro will look to use his pace to become Westerlo’s new “Ferrari”.  On the opposite flank, we have Danish full-back Lasse Flø and our German defender Münz has been brought in to add extra stability.  Two new wingers have also arrived at ’t Kuipje: Wales international Congreve and French-Togolese talent Amegnaglo are expected to fill the void left by Alcocer and Sayyadmanesh. In midfield, Haspolat will have a new partner in Ivorian youth international Fofana, while highly-rated Cameroonian talent Philippe Bibout will also add competition in the centre of the park.

Last Saturday, the Kemphanen played their final pre-season friendly against Turkish side Samsunspor. It ended in a 1-2 defeat, but goalkeeper Andreas Jungdal remained remarkably calm afterwards: “The result is disappointing, but it’s been a long pre-season. We’ve welcomed many new players and they still need some time to adapt. We have to take the positives into next weekend, and everything will be fine.” Head coach Issame Charaï was equally unconcerned: “We had completed a training session before the match, so some players had heavy legs. It has been an intense pre-season with seven friendlies and double training sessions. Especially in the first half, I saw plenty of positives.” He also promised that the team will look much fresher against Union.

Make sure to arrive early on Saturday! The Fan Village opens at 6:45 pm for Westerlo’s Midsummer Party. The first three kegs of beer are free, and a DJ will provide the summer vibes both before and after the match.

Charaï has selected the following squad: Jungdal, Lathouwers, Wiegel, Flø, Lapage, Kimura, Saito, Sydorchuk, Bassette, Patrão, Bohamdi-Kamoni, Laalaoui, Sakamoto, Sandra, Amegnaglo, Borys, Congreve, Mbamba, Ndembi, Ourega, Haspolat, Van Den Keybus, Fofana, Ferraro.

R. Union S.G.

Union enjoyed an outstanding campaign last season. The Brussels side finished second, just four points behind champions Club Brugge, lifted the Belgian Cup and also impressed in the UEFA Champions League. However, the runners-up also suffered some significant departures this summer. Captain Christian Burgess joined KAA Gent on a free transfer, while goalkeeper Lars Scherpen completed a move to Premier League side Ipswich Town. Top scorer and World Cup participant Promise David, however, remains at the club.

Thanks to their second-place finish, Union had to begin their competitive season early. Last Tuesday, they faced Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The match turned into a thrilling 3-3 draw. Florucz scored twice, while substitute Promise David added the third goal.

Head coach David Hubert started with the following line-up (3-5-2): Chambaere; Sykes, Mac Allister, Sylla; Khalaili, Schoofs, Van De Perre, Guilherme, Smith, Olaru; Florucz, Fuseini.

Previous meeting

The last meeting between the two sides took place on 1 March during Matchday 27 of last season. It ended in a goalless 0-0 draw.

Westerlo made the brighter start, but the game changed after 29 minutes when Nsiala was sent off. Despite playing with ten men for more than an hour, the Kemphanen more than held their own and even created the better chances.

Just after the hour mark, Union goalkeeper Chambaere produced a super save to deny Alcocer the opening goal. Union, meanwhile, struggled to create meaningful chances despite their numerical advantage. Charaï’s men stood firm until the final whistle and deservedly earned a point at ’t Kuipje.

Did you know?

• New French winger David Amegnaglo played alongside Turkish wonderkid Kenan Yıldız during his time in Bayern Munich’s youth academy. Yıldız now plays for Juventus.
• According to football observatory CIES, Westerlo have given an average of 48.2% of playing time to players aged between 21 and 24 over the past five seasons. No other Belgian club has a higher percentage. For players under the age of 21, the figure stands at 19.7%, with only Anderlecht ranking higher in Belgium (21.8%).
• This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Kemphanen have sold their main striker for a multi-million euro fee. Foster joined Burnley in 2023, Stassin moved to Saint-Étienne in 2024, Frigan signed for Parma in 2025, and this summer Ferri completed a transfer to Feyenoord.

Match Officials

Bert Put has been appointed as referee for Saturday’s match. He will be assisted by Koen Thijs and Thibaud Nijssen, while Jasper Vitse will serve as the fourth official. Nicolas Laforge will oversee VAR duties from Tubize.