KVC Westerlo – FCV Dender EH

We have played each other nine times before. In the four matches at the Kuipje, we won three times and drew once. Dender away is a different story: in the five previous encounters, we only managed to take one point home with us once.

Last season

We faced each other both in the regular season, with a 2-0 win at the Kuipje and a 1-0 loss in Dender, and in the European Play-Offs, with a 4-2 win at the Kuipje and another 1-0 loss in Dender. A remarkable fact in those two home games was that the ball went to the spot no less than five times and only one penalty was not converted. Allahyar scored twice, Griffin Yow also found the net and Bruny Nsimba scored from the penalty spot for Dender, but he also missed one (saved by Andreas) at what was perhaps a crucial moment (5th minute) at the start of the match. 

Current season

Dender is currently in last place in the standings with three points, three draws in two home games against Cercle Brugge (0-0) and La Louvière (0-0), and they also drew 1-1 at Standard. After five match days, their coach Vincent Euvrard suddenly disappeared, choosing to take over at Standard. In their search for a new coach, they ended up with Hayk Milkon, who was Nicky Hayen’s assistant at Club Brugge.

Mutual transfers

Cult striker Bart Van den Eede transferred from Westerlo to Dender in 2008, after playing 35 matches in two seasons, scoring 9 goals.

Three other well-known players from the past made the move in the other direction: Steven De Petter (2009-2012), 108 matches and 16 goals; Evariste Ngolok (2010-2012), 52 matches and 6 goals; and Philippe Janssens (2012-2014): 52 matches and 3 goals, as well as the title in the then Belgacom League in 2014.

Squads

KVC Westerlo: Jungdal, Reynolds, Bayram, Kimura, Haspolat, Piedfort, Sayyadmanesh, Sakamoto, Alcocer, Nacho Ferri, Van Langendonck, Lapage, Bujupi, Cordero, Vaesen, Yow, Fixelles, Mbamba, Van Den Keybus, Annell, Neustädter, Mebude, Sydorchuk, Smekens, Bernat. 

FCV Dender: Dietsch, Sambu, Marijnissen, Cools, De Fougerolles, Ferraro, Rôdes, Mbamba, Kvet, Berte, Nsimba; Fortin, Fredrick, Goncalves, Sebtaoui, Koton, Acquah, Hrncar, Oratmangoen, Kadiri

Goals + Assists KVC Westerlo

1.    Josimar Alcocer    6

2.    Isa Sakamoto    5

3.    Nacho Ferri        5

Goals + Assists FCV Dender

1.    Bruny Nsimba    2

2.    Roman Kvet        1

3.    Jordan Kadiri        1

Referee

33-year-old Anthony Letellier has been assigned to this match. He is affiliated with a club with the fantastic name FC Negenmanneke, a team from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. This season, he was our referee in Cercle Brugge, after also refereeing Dender vs La Louvière.

Additional information

Kick-off: Saturday, 25 October, 4 p.m. Het Kuipje

Weather forecast: 11 degrees with an 80% chance of precipitation