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PROFILE OPPONENT * AFC TUBIZE | ||||
Bosuil Stadium - Sat. 4 February 2012 - 2 PM (c.e.t.)
R Antwerp FC - AFC Tubize Referees: Laurent Colemonts - Gino De Belder - Cedric Lescalier
Sunday 1st June 2008, our next opponent did manage to stun a full capacity Bosuil crowd
Although Dufer, Sorokin, Pinelli and Lambot have chosen other horizons Tubize drafted in So, Mazzu has built a side based less on talent and more on hard graft and self-sacrifice. A lesson from this season thus far is that Tubize must take the teams at the bottom as seriously as those at the top. If you can beat K. Lierse S.K. at their own ground that’s wonderful but then losing points against relegation candidates at their half-empty spanky new Leburtonstadium made them also-rans for the play-offs tickets.
AFC Tubize may just be the Exqi League’s most fearsome club. A wind-swept stadium whose meagre 1,500 inhabitants defy its structure to generate the most intimidating din in the land (remember the chant Allez Tubize, vos supporters sont là – just joking), burly players who challenge and charge relentlessly (remember the play-acting butcher Neels – not joking), and a fresh new clear-headed manager in Frenchman Mwinyi Zahera (coming from Feignies) who refuses to apologise for his no-frills approach and might not be prissy enough to rule out an admonitory bout of naked headbutting if the situation demanded it. All involved with Tubize deserve acclaim for making their club so feared after being relegated had also one negative side-effect that not only opponents fear Les Sang et Or : transfer targets seem wary, too. It is easy to deduce that although Tubize are now an established Exqi League force, they are not viewed as a club where strikers can enhance their careers – at least not forwards of the calibre they seek (in the Perbet/Njock mould that is!). It’s easy to see why : attackers have to work extremely hard at the Leburton for relatively little reward – Tubize created probably fewer shooting opportunities than any other side, averaged a poor ball possession rate per game and completed fewer passes. Their strikers tend to spend a large amount of their time chasing and closing down and, as a consequence, find themselves under inordinate pressure to take any opportunities that do eventually come their way. The best way to attract a top-notch striker may be firstly to demonstrate an intent to evolve by bringing in a couple of midfielders to free the forwards. Now that Haydock has left the club and Baseggio is past his sell-by date it’s hard to see how our next opponent will improve their tally of a meagre 41 goals in 36 games from last season. Similarly, a tad more creativity and penetration should be introduced to central midfield where Brazilians Montagna and Camargo helped by Kwembeke and Villano can all be relied on to do fundamentals diligently but they do not possess the ingenuity to inspire Tubize into the top half of the table. A good cup run is also not on the cards because in the first round they were knocked out by the mighty Peruwelz. Unless chairman Langendries and his sporting advisors can lure upgrades before the transfer window closes at the end of January there seems little hope of Tubize making a great leap forward. Both Italian players Daddi and Cacciatore left the club by mutual consent and the Walloon team is now in negotiations with FCV Dender EH topstriker and free agent Norman Sylla. Although it has to be said that despite the above concerns we should not exclude that possibility because our next opponent is famous for landing some last-minute deals because they are proud to be a crafty operator when the market enters it’s business end. Nor, however, does there seem any likelihood of them significantly regressing. Despite some debaggings in the beginning of this season and with Gilis and Neels on board, Tubize should remain a generally well-organised, highly driven defensive unit who will not concede ground lightly. With the new gaffer Danny Ost at the helm they managed to win the vital sixpointer game at Royal FC Tournai although Brouckaert and Alex Da Silva got their marching orders and Les Sang et Or ended the game at the Varennestadium with 9 men. Can Ost, whose main aim is to keep AFC Tubize out of the relegation battle use his Jupiler Pro League experience with K.A.S. Eupen to keep the yellow and red in the Exqi League.
When Danny Ost was appointed manager of AFC Tubize last autumn his remit was simple : keep our next opponent in the second tier of Belgian football. He did rather better than that. Despite being marooned at Leburtonstadium and denied the riches lavished upon his predecessors when they were playing top-flight football, gaffer Ost presided over a rather famous comeback in the latter league stages by leading les Sang et Or to a comfortable mid-table position. But, now that the club is playing in an almost all-seater spanky, new stadium, some of Ost’s players might have got a bit carried away by saying they can now barge their way into the top five this season. Because anyone who saw Tubize’s losing rather easily to frontrunner K.A.S. Eupen last week will know this isn’t a side capable of some wonderful free-flowing football. In fact, at the back Steens, Diawara and Da Silva must try to keep as many clean sheets as possible because the midfield isn’t brimming with inventive and lively players such as holding midfielder Vinamont and wide players Norman Sylla and Ladrière. Exception here for diminutive playmaker Villano who must offer assists to strikersduo Ambroise and Coppin. All offensive players have their merits, but none can be expected to properly replace Izzet Akgul, a player with topclass experience who opted not to stay at the Leburton. But who cares, our next opponent still can count on the service of Gregoire Neels and the question is can he captain his side to a much-needed win. We hope not because unless Les Sang et Or find a cutting edge to finish moves off, they are more likely to repeat last season post-Ost plot than the blazing form after the new manager took over after last year’s wintermercato. Helped by some reinforcements and upgrading T2 Laurent Demol to headcoach Les Sang et Or made a recovery until just above the relegation scrap but with many coming and outgoing transfers in the wintermercato and poor results in the last three ties they find themselves back in the relegation dogfight. The team that lost last week at the Leburton against mid-table CS Visé (0-3) was : Lahaye, Vanderzijl (69’ Da Silva), Diawara, Vinamont, Steens, Neels, Chiarelli (36’ Ambroise), Villano, Mbayo, Ladrière, Tshibumbu (73’ Sylla). Just to give you a clue…
Founded : 1953 | ||||
| 03/02/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
ROYAL ANTWERP INKS FREDDY MOMBONGO-DUES | ||||
R Antwerp FC has reached an agreement with 26-year old Congolese striker Freddy Mombongo-Dues. The forward (° 30/08/1985) penned a two and a half-year deal with our club. His credentials and main attributes are a workmanslike attitude, a player not afraid to do the dirty work that made him a culthero at the Kehrweg in the East Cantons.
The former K.A.S. Eupen striker than jumped ship to ambitious Walloon outfit RAEC Mons where he was more a fringe player than a crowd favourite. At the start of his European career he played in the lower semi-professional leagues in Germany with clubs as 1.F.C. Köln (2nd team), Bonner SC, FC Germania Dattenfeld, VFL Rheinbach and Wuppertaler SV. Thanks due to this short spells at each club, he learned to adapt himself and is now speaking fluent German. | ||||
| 01/02/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
ZINOU CHERGUI SUSPENDED | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (32*)(name in bold, misses next game): 5:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011 + 10.12.2011 + 17.12.2011+ 29.01.2012). 3:Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011), Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011 + 21.12.2011), Thomas Phibel (21.12.2011 + 22.01.2012 + 29.01.2012). 2:Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011 + 14.01.2012). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011). *Remark: individual totals of players (Kevin Oris, Niels Martin and Michaël Van Geele), who left the club, are no longer in de list. | ||||
| 31/01/2012 - webteam stats | ||||
SUMMARY DAY TWENTY-TWO | ||||
Royal Antwerp manager Bart Wilmssen was relaxed about new Estonian striker Dmitrijev Artjom’s state of mind after the tall forward trained well during the week and was given a starting berth in a freezy Florent Beeckmanstadium. With both teams chasing opposite targets there was no place to hide as emotions run high and neither manager can afford for any of his players to misbehave and fall foul of referee Miguel Garcia. Royal Antwerp’s season remains one of fits and starts. Just as they build a run of results, they suffer a setback. Especcially with the third period beginning next week it’s crystal clear that even at this stage of the season the team are still in a transition period, as FCV Dender EH showed. Despite a healthy investment in the past year, a return to Belgian top flight football remains possible rather than probable.
Last Sunday they had ample possession and chances. Even in the dying seconds of added time substitute Van Dessel ballooned the ball high over the bar from close range and it served as a summary of the game: little brilliance from both teams, wastefulness from the Reds and good home defending. Except that after only 7 minutes of play John Cofie opened his account to break the deadlock when he profited from a misunderstanding between De Raes and Vaesen to strike in an empty net for the easiest goal in his career (0-1). FCV Dender EH had looked dysfunctional in the opening exchanges before gathering their composure after the interval. Their second-half was full of confidence and when home talisman Gunther Thibaut came on as a 64th minute substitute it was only 15’ later that a lax Royal Antwerp midfield allowed the ball to reach Artz, who had all the time and space to deliver a cross. Thibaut charged in, outjumped both centre-halves and headed in (1-1).
One big surprise at the top of the table, frontrunner K.A.S. Eupen lost valuable points at lowly K.V.K. Tienen so Walloon outfit Sporting du Pays de Charleroi reduced the deficit to only 2 points and will still have to host the East Cantons side. Exciting finale to come… | ||||
| 30/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT * F.C.V. DENDER E.H. | ||||
Referees: Miguel Garcia - Jo De Weirdt - Jeroen Walschap
In recent history we met our next opponent two times in the regular 2006-2007 second division. At a packed to the rafter Bosuil Stadium in the last competitive game of Simpson, Evans and Dong we brushed Dender aside with a convincing 3-0 scoreline. Despite this win F.C.V. Dender E.H. held on to win the Championship and won the return leg against a lacklustre Royal Antwerp’s side who only had one target namely to make Fraizer Campbell topscorer in the goalcharts but local hero Gunther Thiebaut pipped him. Whereas F.C.V. Dender E.H. achieved a miracle by staying in the highest tier of Belgian footie the year after this season proved to be difficult because in the last game of the regular season they could avoid to enter the play-offs by winning at home against mid-table Charleroi and some defensive howlers led to a defeat and nail-biting play-offs. One of the reasons for this is the lack of communication between the board, the technical staff and the sportive and commercial manager. CEO De Doncker, who threatened toleave his post finally made the decision to sack former Stoke City manager Jan Boskamp and gave all the powers to the family Asselman who were running the show at the Florent Beeckmanstadium. Patrick Asselman. Clearly a very good manager, but the problem is that at the moment he just doesn’t appear as if he wants to be at Dender. And as a fact he isn’t no longer the gaffer of the blue and blacks. On 28th January 2010 FCV Dender EH sacked him and appointed newbie Vital Borkelmans at the helm of the team. Vital is an ex-Belgian international who played for the Red Devils during the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. The left fullback mainly played for Club Brugge at club level and offers little managerial experience, he only managed K.F.C. Evergem-Center in the lower divisions. FCV Dender EH have financial constraints and are not a yo-yo club and probably don’t have enough players equipped for this level. In the summer transfer window our next opponent had more than ten outgoing transfers and due to parachute payments out of the Jupiler League they could afford fifteen incoming transfers. First-team stalwarts De Petter, Destorme, Deflandre, Berthelin, Sylla, Smajic, Vanderbiest and during this winter break Van Den Eede have all chosen other horizons. Mollez and De Boodt are the new goalkeepers, defenders Simov and Essikal, midfielders Imschoot, De Meersman, Van Den Brandt and Ngolok (who scored the winner in our Cofidis Cup defeat) and strikers Somé and Laurienté did strengthen the squad. With the results before the winter break it seemed as a season of transition looms although the abovementioned incoming transfers suggested that fees, wage demands and other factors won’t prevent FCV Dender EH to play their role in the competition and so they should with a whopping budget in the Exqi League of 3.2 m €! FCV Dender EH must say thank you for the parachute payments they received this season as a relegated Jupiler Pro League team last term. With more than 10 incoming and outgoing transfers they gave the wheeling and dealing procedures a new dimension. Now they are looking for money of their local council to stay afloat.
And the miracle did happen, the local council delivered the necessary funding for our next opponent to stay in business, although with a minimal budget of 1m euros. Goalkeeper De Boodt, defenders Blondelle, Essikal, Wiggers and Zukanovic all parted company with FCV Dender EH, as did scoring midfielder Imschoot and strikers Laurienté, Saintini and Munyaneza. But with some shrewd buys (leftovers and fringe players from other teams) such as new strikers partnership Waeghe and Claessens the Denderboys are flying high at the time being and enjoying every minute in the upper echelon of the Exqi League. Other acquisitions include defenders Artz, De Ly and Vaesen while upfront Peers and Meeus are taking their chance in the starting eleven. Due to a limited wage structure policy our next opponent did sell their hottest property in the winter transfer period. Evariste Ngolok, the defensive anchorman who forms the ideal connection between defense and attack is now playing for Jupiler Pro League outfit KVC Westerlo.
FCV Dender EH fans should set up a roadblock to keep Gunther Thiebaut (doubtful for this tie) in the city. They will have a better chance to avoid relegation worries if the burly striker due to his constant supply of goals can be persuaded to stay. The homegrown talisman is so important that a couple of summer additions almost went unnoticed. There’s for instance defender Cor Gilis and striker Joren Dom strenghtening the side not only in numbers but also in quality. Midfielder Daan Vaesen is the other experienced head in the squad full of youngsters coming from the lower leagues. While at the back, Wouter Artz, Bram De Ly (injured for this tie) and Osman Serbest will be hard to get past, the midfield might be too workmanlike to unlock better defences in the second tier of Belgian football. Just a pity that our next opponent did lose a master in assists and goals in striker Roy Meeus, the forward with the deadly shot opted to play for Lommel United. With 10 goals out of a club total of 22 goals thus far, Janis Coppin is the FCV Dender EH player to watch, but one thing is sure, nothing less than three points will do at Florent Beeckmanstadium on Sunday.
Founded : 1952 | ||||
| 28/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
TOTAL OF THIRTY | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (30*)(name in bold, misses next game): 4:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011 + 10.12.2011 + 17.12.2011). 3:Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011), Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011 + 21.12.2011). 2:Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011 + 14.01.2012), Thomas Phibel (21.12.2011 + 22.01.2012). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011). *Remark: individual total of players (Kevin Oris, Niels Martin and Michaël Van Geele), who left the club, are no longer in de list. | ||||
| 26/01/2012 - webteam stats | ||||
SUMMARY DAY TWENTY-ONE | ||||
Royal Antwerp’s season of one step forward and two back continued on Sunday as SK Sint-Niklaas forgot their dire home form to grab a stunning win against Bart Wilmssen’s side. The home side moved out of the bottom three after taking full advantage of some slack defending to sink Royal Antwerp. The Reds, basking in the plaudits of their 3-1 home win over CS Visé took an early lead when skipper De Smet connected a Dufour free-kick goalwards and scored to the delight of more than 1200 travelling fans. But that opening goal masked a disjointed display in which relegation threatened SK Sint-Niklaas wasted a plethora of chances in both halves. Former Royal Antwerp Greek misfit Stavros Glouftsis drew level 6 minutes before the interval against a lethargic Royal Antwerp side who showed why their scoring record this season is so dismal.
Now that ex-captain Kevin Oris jumped ship to Korean First Division outfit Daejon Citizen on a one and a half year contract deal it was on the cards that all the high balls pumped in the penalty area in the second half were smothered by former Antwerpgoalie Willockx and to make things worse on a counter a corner-kick evaded everybody except home defender Vertonghen who netted with a header near the far post. So, a fairytale story for SK Sint-Niklaas when two sublime goals extended their renaissance under home gaffer and former Antwerplegend Alex Czerniatynski.
Gaffer Bart Wilmssen was angry after the lacklustre performance of his team and said in the media that his players thought this game was not as important as the next one away to FCV Dender EH. Also said: "We have to look at ourselves and see what we can do to try and prevent it happening in the future. The key for us now is not to repeat this mediocre play to still have the chance to achieve our goal for the season, namely participating in the play-offs. It will be hard to do this without influential striker Kevin Oris."
Luckily for our colours Waasland/Beveren and KV Ostend couldn’t take profit from our loss. The former was second best in the tie of the weekend at Sporting Pays de Charleroi while the latter lost at Eendracht Aalst courtesy of a brace from midfield maestro Gallucci and a strike from Podevijn.
Leaders K.A.S. Eupen saw their game against AFC Tubize cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch and the winner of the weekend was Lommel United, winning 3-1 at Soevereinstadium against lowly K.V.K. Tienen! | ||||
| 23/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT SK SINT-NIKLAAS | ||||
22.01.2012 3.00 PM (c.e.t.) Meesterstraat SK Sint-Niklaas
Referees: Gerd Bylois - Lieven Verheyen - Karel De Rocker Sint-Niklaas’s joy at being promoted to the second tier of Belgian football after a draining play-off competition with fellow third division sides is tempered by the real fear they will only be there for one season. While WS Woluwe and Eendracht Aalst are like a couple of excited kids, merrily skipping around at the prospect of second division football, SK Sint-Niklaas are the cynical old man in the corner, grumbling about how hard it is to survive. All of Alex Czerniatynski’s celebrated managerial skills will be tested during what could be a very difficult season. The acquisititons of our former players Yannick Put (loan) and Greek misfit Stavros Glouftsis is not going to concern defenders too much. Although Glouftsis netted a brace in the home game against WS Woluwe he and Yannick Put will be no more than pedestrian this season. And the gaffer has some money to spend thanks to the generous support of chairman Van Lijsebetten, as can be seen in his relatively busy summer shopping: middfielders Enzo Neve and Jonas Vandermarliere were drafted in and in defense Marko Petrovic is an astute signing. In goal two former Royal Antwerp keepers are fighting it out for the number one spot, for the time being Ivan Willockx has the goalkeeper jersey and Jochem Tanghe is his deputy, but it’s a duo that doesn’t inspire too much confidence of survival. Sint-Niklaas are already a tremendous success story that could be ruined if they overreach and forget what should always be their main concern : to remain in the Belgian second division. Our next opponents’ defence isn’t good enough to force the team into the top half, but Lode Vertongen and Roel Engelen will keep them probably just above any relegation scraps. The strengths of the team is that these players are Czernia’s boys now and the gaffer is more settled in Meesterstraat these days – there are no more erratic team selections and he has absolute control of his players. And from struggling to find two pennies to rub together, with chairman Van Lijsebetten our next opponent now have the potential clout to match most relegation-threatened sides in the transfer market. In the wintermercato defender Delanoy, midfielder Sbaa and strikers Koulibaly and Munyaneza are added to the squad. Will Stavros Glouftsis especially have to prove he’s not a fading force at this level, in the short-term, the vast majority of Sint-Niklaas fans are hoping the Greek scores for fun at the business end of the season and with a manager as Alex Czerniatynski they hope their team are lifted clear from relegation worries with a few games to play.
Founded : 1992 | ||||
| 21/01/2012 | ||||
CHRISTOPHE MEYERS' SECOND | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (29*)(name in bold, misses next game): 4:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011 + 10.12.2011 + 17.12.2011). 3:Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011), Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011 + 21.12.2011). 2:Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011 + 14.01.2012). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Thomas Phibel (21.12.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011), Michaël Van Geele (01.10.2011). *Remark: individual total of players (Kevin Oris and Niels Martin), who left the club, are no longer in de list. | ||||
| 19/01/2012 - webteam stats | ||||
SUMMARY DAY TWENTY | ||||
Three goals from skipper Kevin Oris helped Royal Antwerp FC to a comfortable win over ambitious mid-table outfit CS Visé at Bosuilstadium in front of 7000 spectators. With this win the Bosuil side ensured that they will be in fifth place before taking on the mighty Sportkring Sint Niklase coming weekend. With 18 attempts on target (against 3 for the visitors), 6 corners (against 2 for Visé), 52% ball possession and 8 shots on target it was crystal clear who was going to win this lively encounter. The visitors came on the back of a two-match losing streak in the league and from the outset they were set up to contain the home side. It had little effect and, with the Reds dominating possession and Visé seemingly content to retreat to their final third, the atmosphere inside the Bosuil Stadium was flat to begin with. But helped by an impressive debut of Mancunian starlet John Cofie wantaway striker Kevin Oris volleyed in a Peersman cross in the 38’ past a motionless Ingrassa, after the interval the robust forward netted another brace whereby his latest goal came thanks a stroke of genius Messi-esque assist from Cofie. Gaffer Bart Wilmssen will hope this crucial fourth The tie of the weekend was played at KV Ostend where visitors Sporting du Pays de Charleroi won it in the dying minutes. Luissint giving the home side the lead after 21’ and five minutes before the break Bojovic drew level. At the end Dzinic decided the game for the Walloon outfit who now trail leaders K.A.S. Eupen by four points. The latter lost two valuable points at the Florent Beeckmanstadium against a stubborn FCV Dender EH side. | ||||
| 17/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT CS VISE/WEZET | ||||
Our next opponent was founded in 1924 as CS Visétois and received the Belgian FA number 369. Their first spell in the national football leagues was in 1948-1949, and they remained there for two consecutive seasons. From 1960 CS Visé played in the Belgian fourth division and this until 1996 when they were promoted to the third division. Afterwards the club from the province of Liège played yo-yo between the second and third tier of Belgian football. Last year followed with a star-studded team a new promotion to the second tier where they are now considered by most journos as the surprise package of the Exqi League. Les Oies (the geese) are already a tremendous success story that only can be ruined if they overreach and forget what should always be their main concern at the start of this season: to remain in the Belgian second division. And with a current sixth place in the ranking that’s exactly what they are doing, they even punch a little bit above their weight. Signing both Legros brothers from last year relegation fodder RFC Liègeois was a very smart bit of business by Visé. The pair will augment an already impressive midfield and strike force where Lecomte, Françoise, Dessart are other superb players attracting interest from larger clubs. The Visé defence isn’t normally good enough to force the team into the top five, but Ciza, Vervalle, Wisniowski, Schmisser and Johan Gerets (son of former Belgian footballlegend Eric) will always keep them above any relegation scraps. Only prolific striker Harbaoui and old Antwerpveteran Verjans left the ambitious club. Manager Riga’s ambition could perversely by the undoing of our next visitor at De Bosuil. “I have been a manager for almost 20 years and there will come a time when moving will be the right thing”. It will happen at a certain time and if it does it could be catastrophic for the habitants of Le Stade de la Cité de l’Oie. So, this year punters back the Geese for the drop but they are wrong because Sunday’s visitors do their dough. It ain’t clever and it’s certainly ain’t pretty but they do know how to stay up. More even they will end in upper mid-table if they watch out for that end-of-season slump were some promoted teams are known for. If they don’t dust down their passports in March then a highest position in their history will come to fruition and punters will know for a fact that this team you do not back for the drop under any circumstances. And they didn’t… For the future all seem rosy in the garden of the city in the neighbourhood of Liège because Indonesian investors have committed themselves with the crystal clear ambition to climb the football tree onto the Jupiler Pro League and this in a time-schedule of only two years. Because if the Pandas from K.A.S. Eupen can achieve such a miracle why can’t the Geese from RCS Visé not follow their example? Wait and see…
Do you ever get the feeling you’re not earning the praise you deserve? José Riga knows exactly how you feel. Amid relegation fears of much coveted sides as AFC Tubize and FC M Brussels S. and Royal Antwerp’s failure to clinch a play-off berth at the penultimate day of the season, his achievement in guiding CS Visé from the Belgian third division to fifth in the second tier of Belgian football in two successive seasons was virtually ignored. No, in fact it wasn’t because toptier highflyers R Standard CL hired Riga’s services for the current season. They remain unconvincing against the more glamorous sides and can’t be backed for the title until they show greater steal but with the influx of Italian and Indonesian players this outfit is one to be reckoned with. At the time of writing our next opponent have appointed late Sep their fourth gaffer of the season in Italian manager Loris Dominissini and in the wintermercato an exchange deal with Dutch Second division outfit MVV saw Boateng drafted in and misfit Carraciolo going out to his former club. Further acquisition is well-travelled defender Jeffrey Rentmeister, a player with outstanding pedigree and always dangerous on set-pieces. The geese are now concentrating on the third period title but a good ranking at the end of the season won’t do no harm for the lofty ambitions of Indonesian investors group Bakrie!
Founded : 1924 | ||||
| 13/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
JUSTICE WAMFOR IS A RED | ||||
Justice Wamfor (° 05/08/1981) has reached an agreement with R Antwerp FC and inks a three and a halve year deal with our club. He has experience at the highest Belgian level when he played in the past for Jupiler Pro League outfits RC Genk and Germinal Beerschot (together more than 200 appearances)! From our local rivals he jumped ship to Israeli top team Maccabi Petah Tikva but when our Reds came knocking on his door he made the obvious choice to play in his second homeland. With this new acquisition Royal Antwerp show ambition and a big bonus is that Justice also played for the Cameroon national team where he gathered 15 caps. It’s expected he will beef up our defensive or midfield options and will play in his prefered holding midfield role or as full-back. Justice will be a real asset for our young vibrant squad and will join his new teammates as soon as the paper work is done and dusted. Good luck at our club, Justice! | ||||
| 11/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
A NEW ERA FOR R ANTWERP FC | ||||
Eddy Wauters’ blaster and bombast earned him as many enemies as friends in his 42-year long reign at Bosuil Stadium, but whatever you think of the man you can’t deny that he has brightened the game up in a rather dull football environment with his refusal to hold his tongue. Eddy Wauters had a career to be proud of and will always be guaranteed a unique place in Royal Antwerp’s football history. But the inevitable happened in an eagerly anticipated Special General Assembly (SGA) of the Non-Profit Orginasation (NPO) which was held on Monday 9th January. Thirty-five associate members attended the meeting with Eddy Wauters in attendance. Most important issue to handle was whether Eddy Wauters could remain as president of the NPO. With a majority of votes (22 against, 12 in favour and 1 abstention) the end of an era was there for everybody to see. At the same meeting a new direction committee was elected, Mr Nico Vertongen was appointed in the governing body of the club together with Gunther Hofmans, Jan Michel and Dirk Stoop. In a latest update we can inform you that Jan Michel was appointed as a temporarily caretaker chairman with Dirk Stoop as deputy. | ||||
| 11/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
INCOMING LOAN SIGNING: JOHN COFIE | ||||
Everybody knows Michael Clarke Duncan in his breakout role as John Coffey in the drama movie The Green Mile, the American actor was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. But it’s not about that John Coffey we are talking now, this article will tell you a lot more about our new loan signing, John Cofie. In 2007 United have beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for the 14-year-old Burnley striker and agreed an undisclosed fee with the Clarets. So, from Turf Moor to Old Trafford that’s a big step up but with his main attributes being his size and physique he has no problem to bang in the goals at Academy level (6 goals in 25 appearances in the 2009/2010 season) and Reserves level (this preseason)!
John Cofie is also blessed with quick feet, quite good with the ball on his feet considering his height and he loves to run at defenses. This Ghanaian born centre-forward (° 21/01/1993) is a tall and powerful lad with a keen eye for goal and has chosen to play his international football for England. Good news for the Three Lions because he had also the chance to play for Germany or Ghana. Since he has made his choice he has been regularly called up for international duty at youth level. This year young John Cofie is learning a lot under stewardship from our former gaffer, Warren Joyce. He played a cameo role in most Barclays Premier Reserve League North ties and was a starter against Bury in the Manchester Senior Cup. At Moss Lane in Altrincham where the mighty Red Devils Reserves are playing most of their games he disputed a friendly against the local team on Oct 29. In his latest outing with the Manchester United Reserves he came on as a sub after 54 minutes to replace Fornasier in a 6-3 defeat at Sunderland. By the way, Manchester United Reserves are flying high in the Premier League North and in the cups and we are all hoping that the loan signing of John Cofie will be a success for both parties concerned and we are sure that he will experience the same warmth as John O’ Shea, Daron Gibson, Danny Simpson, Fraizer Campbell, Luke Chadwick, Ryan Shawcross and others did. In a statement new management boss Gunther Hofmans was delighted with the acquisition of John Cofie and hopes that in the near future the bond between both teams will be strengthened and that more starlets of the Academy and Reserves from Manchester will follow the Bosuil route on their way to a Carling Cup experience, a full PL-debut or even playing a World Cup for teams (Jonny Evans anyone!). | ||||
| 06/01/2012 - Frank Nicola | ||||
HALF – TIME REPORT | ||||
I N T R O
S T R E N G T H S
W E A K N E S S E S
T H R E E T O W A T C H
C O N C L U S I O N
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| 28/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
KEVIN ORIS & ZINOU CHERGUI HAVE TO FEAR | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (28)(name in bold, misses next game): 4:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011 + 10.12.2011 + 17.12.2011), Kevin Oris (24.08.2011 + 23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011 + 21.12.2011). 3:Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011), Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011 + 21.12.2011). 2:Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Niels Martin (17.08.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011), Thomas Phibel (21.12.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011), Michaël Van Geele (01.10.2011). | ||||
| 24/12/2011 - webteam stats | ||||
ZINOU CHERGUI MUST FEAR | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (25)(name in bold, misses next game): 4:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011 + 10.12.2011 + 17.12.2011). 3:Kevin Oris (24.08.2011 + 23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011), Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011), Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011). 2:Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Niels Martin (17.08.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011), Michaël Van Geele (01.10.2011). | ||||
| 21/12/2011 - webteam stats | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT * K.A.S. EUPEN | ||||
"The day I took the Eupen job, I dreamt of staying up,” admits Dany Ost. He did rather better than that, finishing in fourteenth spot last term after a mammoth 14 defeats conceding 42 goals in the process amply proved there was a fragility to his Eupen side, particularly at the rearguard of the team who didn’t offer their goalkeeper Wins enough protection. But that was before the winter break, afterwards a rejuvenated side bought together by rich Italian investors proved too strong for relegation rivals R.O.C. de Charleroi M, Royal Excelsior Virton, K.F.C. V.W. Hamme, K.M.S.K. Deinze and whipping boys Union Royale Namur. So, basement club K.A.S. Eupen from 5 points before the January transfer window to 43 points and safety from relegation worries at the end of last years’ Exqi-League campaign. A job well done by Dany Ost who said to his players: "You’ve achieved that, now go a step further." Our next opponent looked to be establishing themselves as a solid Belgian second division club until Ost rode to the rescue, to offer Eupen fans a fresh start. Dany bought himself enormous goodwill with his end-of-season heroics and the Italian investors made it clear that thanks to the greater organisation and discipline they should benefit from this Exqi-League season. Preseason preparation and unseen at this level was a three weeks team-bonding sessions and training camp in Italy and all punters agree this is a sign of a professional club and it shows in the ranking were Eupen is the proud leader after fifteen games in the current season. The backline of the team comprises charismatic Czech goalkeeper Petr Radek, the centre-halves pairing of Belgian youth international Kocabas together with Maric from Croatian descent but with also a Swiss passport and Colin, Brazilian Dos Santos, Djuric, Sissoko and Italian Iandoli making up the numbers.. In midfield Colinet and Vinamont lead by example and Aguilar from Paraguay, Milicevic from Serbia but also with a Swiss passport and Saglik completes the multi-lingual midfield players Ost can rely on. Further the team from the Eastern part of Belgium possesses a front line second to none in the Exqi-League. Although wanted by clubs in the highest tier of Belgian and European football striker Mombongo forms an impressive frontline together with Serbian starlet Obradovic and the player who’s attracting the most headlines is exciting striker and set-pieces specialist Matthias Lepiller.
K.A.S. Eupen didn’t manage to stay in the upper tier of Belgian football, after winning a five-game play-off against Walloon counterparts Charleroi they did qualify for a round-robin tournament with second division outfits KV RS Waasland/SK Beveren, RAEC Mons and Lommel United but failed to impress on these occasions by surrendering rather easily with a zero points total out of 6 matches. Their Kehrwegstadium was renewed with three brand new stands thanks to the support of the German city council of Eupen and now can receive up to 8 500 spectators. Money well spent for only one season in the top flight of Belgian football? We don’t think so…
K.A.S. Eupen has parted company with the Italian investors group around former manager of Batistuta, Imborgia has now chosen other football horizons at possibly Royal Boussu Dour Borinage and instead of the Italians it’s now up to a German investor group who drafted in a new manager and a lot of new German imports to try to lift the club back up on the first time of asking. Deumeland is the number one between the sticks, Kocabas is one of the few survivors of the previous seasons while Teruel and Kis make up the numbers in defense. In midfield young starlet Saglik opted to stay in the Eastern part of Belgium and is accompanied by new topsignings Le Postollec and German midfield maestro Masmanidis. The latter was responsible for the opening win against RCS Visé by converting a late spot-kick and will provide the bullets for Espinal, Santos and Lallemand. Short on numbers at the beginning of the season new gaffer Wolfgang Frank has now a fully fit and decent squad with whom he will try to hold all three points at the Kehrweg on Wednesday.
Founded : 1945 | ||||
| 19/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
SUMMARY DAY EIGHTEEN | ||||
A last-gasp goal from Benjamin Lambot earned Royal Antwerp a crucial win over fellow play-offs hopefuls Lommel United at Bosuil Stadium on Saturday. As commendable Lommel United’s display was, Royal Antwerp could easily have wrapped up the game by the time Brouwers had fired the Limbourg team level. Dufour, Ionescu and dynamo Lambot got to grips with the midfield and allowed the home team to dominate possession and territory from the outset. Royal Antwerp’s forward Kevin Oris knocked Guy Dufour’s floated corner-kick back into the danger area and defender Viane showed great strength, composure and awareness to swivel neatly in the six-yard box and shoot into the net past a helpless Thoelen. Our next opponent K.A.S. Eupen are still runaway leaders after another marvellous display away from home at play-offs contenders RCS Visé. Santos, Saglik and Masmanidis all scored one goal each so Wednesday trip to the East Cantons will be a mouthwatering tie at the Kehrweg – but respect where it is needed – Wednesday clash will be no walkover for K.A.S. Eupen as for Royal Antwerp. Back again in second place Walloon outfit Sporting du Pays de Charleroi after winning at lowly K.V.K. Tienen courtesy of a brace of Gnohéré. With the same number of points in a healthy third position coastal team K.V. Ostend who were held to a stalemate by stubborn mid-table opposition in FC M Brussels S. But the game of the weekend was without any shadow of a doubt the tie between two unsung, unfancied sides at Municipal Stadium, Lostreet, Heist-op-den-Berg. The home side profited maximally from a sending off to overhaul visitors Sporting St. Niklase at the dying seconds of the game. Melkert with a brace and Engelen with another goal gave the visitors a 1-3 lead with barely 20 minutes to go but local heros Rijmenams and Ozcan had the final say in a nailbiting finish with a brace apiece. | ||||
| 19/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT * LOMMEL UNITED | ||||
Bosuil Stadium - 17 December 2011 - 8.00 PM (cet)
Referees: Tim Pots - Kris Messely - Patrick Plumes
Franky Van Der Elst did join a long queue of Exqi-League coaches looking for a prolific striker this summer, although his need was the greatest of all. Having lost Van de Weyer there was a significant gap to fill in attack alongside star striker Ketting. The problem for United was that they are far from alone in seeking reinforcements up front and finding value for money has not proved straightforward. It was gaffer Van Der Elst’s famed eye for a bargain that did the trick once again. Situated in the neighbourhood of the Dutch border, our next opponent are always looking for acquisitions in the Dutch Eredivisie or Jupiler League. So, Van Der Elst canny forays into the transfer market continue to serve KVSK United well. He can now pick from a full-strenght team and hopes that the aforementioned strikers will be lucky to break double figures this season and in midfield our next opponent have free-kick specialist Davy Brouwers and at the back former Royal Antwerp favourite Pinxten to add more firepower to the attack. Stronghold of the team is still reliable goalkeeper Sengier and in the rearguard of the team Chergui replaced Eberle, in central defense or midfield there is an important holding role for Cameroon player Noukeu.
Chairman Luyckx is very proud at the fact that local lads thanks to a good youth policy are coming through the ranks because with the departures of Caramazza, Chergui, Oyen, Scheelen and Noukeu the squad looked very thin on paper. With defender Lenaerts, midfielders Debauve, Dufour, Henkens and Vanaken and strikers Azevedo and Cerigioni Lommel United has a lot of young stars ready to shine at Exqi League level. The only acquisition this season is left-back Giles Colin, an incoming transfer from Jupiler League outfit K.A.S. Eupen. Finishing at an admirable second spot last year with 20 wins, 6 defeats and 10 draws and as many goals made as our beloved colours last term it was the goals conceded that made all the difference between our two sides (27 for Lommel United, 53 for Royal Antwerp). How things can change was proven that despite occupying a sixth spot in the ranking at the time of playing us at De Bosuil in our home fixture before the New Year it is the ambition of the Limburgers to finish first come May, but they will also compete fiercely for the period titles at stake (they won the second period title). Hopefully our mercurial striker Kevin Oris will get a better reception against his former teammates as he did receive at Gestelsedijk earlier this season when we knocked Lutlommel from the lower divisions out of the Belgian Cup. Needless to say that a bumper crowd is expected at the division’s pacesetters Lommel United at Gestelsedijk against our mighty Reds who are hoping to improve on their tally of 6 out of a possible 9 points counting for the third and last period title.
Losing topplayers such as Björn Sengier ( Helmond Sport, Holland) ,Thomas Azevedo (OH Leuven), Gilles Colin (KVK Tienen), Guy Dufour (Standard), Robin Henkens (YR KV Mechelen), Harald Pinxten (Neerpelt), Sebastien Stassin (?) and more importantly Dutch top strikerspair Jason Oost to Dutch Eredivisie team Excelsior Rotterdam and prolific striker Jeroen Ketting to ambitious Dutch second division team FC Zwolle didn’t bode well in the mind of manager Van Der Elst so he asked his board to make hasty work of much needed reinforcements to keep Lommel United at bay for their bid to a play-off place at least in May 2012. He was delighted that the club drafted in goalkeeper Yannick Thoelen, defenders Egon Wisniowski and Jelle Rykx, midfield lynchpin Jérôme Colinet and the final attacking missing link in the team jigsaw, front man Roy Meeus who was the creative author of ten goals and ten assists at FCV Dender EH. Will that be enough to replace all those important outgoing losses, knowing that for instance talismanic striker Jeroen Ketting was always good for more than 20 goals a season? For Saturdays clash at Bosuil Stadium Roy Meeus is a certain absentee and defender Egon Wisniowski is certainly not risked in this encounter. Now that gaffer Van Der Elst did choose pastures new at Jupiler League strugglers St. Truidense VV it is new manager Philip Haagdoren (former assistant-coach) at the helm of the Limbourg club. And with occupying fourth spot in the second division table he is doing allright. Just until the next prospect (Cerigioni that is) will be lured away to a top side in the Belgian first division! Can Lommel United ex-players Kevin Oris, Guy Dufour and Zinho Chergui and their teammates hold all the three points at home?
Founded : 2003 | ||||
| 15/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
SUMMARY DAY SEVENTEEN | ||||
Royal Antwerp FC struck once late on to snatch victory against strugglers KS Wetteren in front of 5 600 spectators. A stubborn KS Wetteren side looked destined to condemn Bart Wilmssen to the loss of his first points on Bosuil territory in his fourth game in charge until our Reds’ persistence and pressure were rewarded in a win with the smallest margin. With Wetteren hanging on desperately, substitute Smeets took a corner and there was the star of the show in the last couple of weeks, midfield anchorman Benjamin Lambot to come to the rescue by heading in at the first post past a helpless De Vroe.
Benjamin Lambot and his teammates were sent into one of the weirdest celebrations we have ever seen and gaffer Bart Wilmssen joined into one of his unfamiliar frenetic touchline celebrations. In sharp contrast, KS Wetteren manager Kris Van Der Haegen turned away in dissapointment as he saw the opportunity to relieve the pressure on his position with this new loss snatched away. But there was no anger on the faces of the band of 30 or so travelling fans, they all enjoyed their evening out until the last 10 seconds of injury-time that was. Although being in sixth position, gaffer Bart Wilmssen now gathered 9 points out of a possible 12 will still be hoping for better fortunes come May, but the start of his reign is hopeful. Nevertheless he mentioned at the press conference that despite making his entrance to a thunderous roar from Royal Antwerp’s fans for the start of a new era – he will soon be acquainted with the familiar problems that led to his appointment! And that is a lack of firepower up front with only striker Kevin Oris finding the net on six occasions this season.
Against lowly St. Niklase leaders K.A.S. Eupen made no mistake courtesy of goals by Lallemand and Saglik. Coastal team KV Ostend leapfrog Sporting du Pays de Charleroi by thumping mid-table hopefuls WS Woluwe thanks to a brace of Brouckaert and one goal apiece from Maertens and Luissint. The Walloon outfit lost at relegation strugglers AFC Tubize, while the fiercely contested derby between FCV Dender EH – Eendracht Aalst ended on a 2-2 stalemate in front of a bumper crowd (6 000 spectators at the Florent Beeckmanstadion). | ||||
| 12/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT * KS WETTEREN | ||||
It’s a big step up, but KS Wetteren arrive in the Exqi League with plenty of momentum. After winning the Belgian Third Division title two years ago Wim De Corte’s long reign (since Nov 2001) has already been hailed as a revolution. “It’s a fairy tale”, says Wetteren’s gaffer but will it have a happy ending this season? KS Wetteren have an excellent basis from which to launch their bid for survival. Last season they had one of the worst defences in the entire football league with 59 goals conceded, but as long as they have one reliable goalscorer in Jan De Langhe the goals made, won’t be a big obstacle to climb. Ewout Denijs who scored a fistful of goals last term parted company with the team and is now playing for ambitious Third Division outfit Eendracht Aalst. Surely confidence and the winning habit might just be enough to keep KS Wetteren in the second tier of Belgian football despite the fact they’re unable to call on many players with knowledge of this level. KS Wetteren have a large squad comprising 24 (!) Belgian players and funds to strenghten the squad are not available but we can’t see how a handful of injuries could derail their season. They are strong all over the pitch with outstanding goalkeeper De Vroe, a close-knit defensive unit comprising Van Damme, De Wilde and new acquisition Vleminckx. The creativity in midfield comes from Claessens and our former player Bas Vervaeke while Van Ruyskensvelde is also getting a lot of playing time in recent weeks. Up front De Langhe and De Munter aren’t shy of doing the dirty work with summer signing Maertens being used as a supersub when Wetteren needs a plan B! So, this all-Belgian team of De Corte have adapted quickly to the new level and were the surprise package of the Exqi League last year, for their second year they want to make their Marcel De Kerpel stadium into a fortress as soon as possible. Will the second year in the Exqi League prove vital in their way upwards?
A new manager, a new chairman but still the same philosophy; to built a young, vibrant side with only Belgian players got them the plaudits they deserved in the past two seasons but this term most pundits are stating that without the acquisitions of several new faces in the January transfer window our next opponent will be relegation fodder! And, at the time of writing occupying the bottom position in the second tier of Belgian football all the plaudits are gone and KS Wetteren will go straight back down to the Belgian third division. Are the pundits talking rubbish or is this an honest assessment? Probably the latter. The yellow-green were superb in their last two seasons, but with the exception of diminutive goalkeeper De Vroe, midfielder Denijs (back from a spell at VC Eendracht Aalst 2002) and striker De Langhe they don’t possess another player who did comfortably made the step to a higher division. This collective unit need at least 10 new signings (only the thought is plain silly!!!) to extend their run in this division. To make things worse, ex-gaffer of the Red Devils, Aimé Anthuenis who was representing the club as an advisor left the club in dubious circumstances making the work of new chairman De Clercq and new manager Kris Van Der Haegen almost a mission impossible!
Founded : 1951 | ||||
| 09/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
BENJAMIN LAMBOT'S THIRD | ||||
l e a g u e - y e l l o w (23)(name in bold, misses next game): 3:Benjamin Lambot (01.10.2011 + 08.10.2011 + 04.12.2011), Kevin Oris (24.08.2011 + 23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011), Denis Viane (24.09.2011 + 06.11.2011 + 20.11.2011). 2:Zinou Chergui (24.09.2011 + 29.10.2011), Andrei Ionescu (15.10.2011 + 12.11.2011), Marvin Peersman (23.10.2011 + 27.11.2011). 1:Prince Bobby (29.10.2011), Karel De Smet (12.11.2011), Niels Martin (17.08.2011), Christophe Meyers (17.08.2011), Wesley Pollemans (17.09.2011), Wouter Smeets (20.11.2011), Romeo Van Dessel (17.08.2011), Michaël Van Geele (01.10.2011). l e a g u e - red: | ||||
| 07/12/2011 - webteam stats | ||||
SUMMARY DAY SIXTEEN | ||||
Royal Antwerp Football Club could make it a third successive win under the guidance of Bart Wilmssen but lost away to second division newcomers VC Eendracht Aalst 2002 in a five-goal thriller. The home side, nicknamed the Onions wasted little time forging in front with Verheyden guiding home a Podevijn cross inside the opening three minutes. Our reds were left with an uphill battle when Gallucci doubled the lead with a beauty 8 minutes before the interval. After the break gaffer Wilmssen did a double substitution and changed the system to a 3-5-2 formation and Royal Antwerp reduced the deficit to one goal courtesy of a close range Dosunmu finish. The visitors were the far more brighter side, with Lambot and sub Ionescu pulling the strings in midfield and were rewarded in the last minute when Karel De Smet connected with his head on a Dufour corner but football can have his days when everything turns against the team you support.
And yes, VC Eendracht Aalst 2002, in contrast, were ponderous in attack and offered little pace to their ventures when they did get the ball but out of the blue Royal Antwerp old boy Bas Vervaeke, netted the decisive goal in the dying seconds. It was, perhaps indicative for our rollercoaster season and relatively lowly ninth position that Royal Antwerp could not prevent the home side, encouraged by a healty 5 000 spectators, from striking at the final whistle, just when they needed to grab hold of the ball and calm the game down. Our manager Bart Wilmssen afterwards stated: "It wasn’t a great afternoon defensively and that’s disappointing because for a large part of the game we looked terrific going forward with a possession rate of over 65%. “We conceded two easy goals before the break and then another in the dying seconds and that doesn’t make it easier to accept. "It was a very frustrating day because for large parts of the game we were in total control. It wasn’t just possession, it was penetration too, but we needed to defend better."
The top of the Belgian second division table has a familiar look about it after nine-men K.A.S. Eupen managed to secure a draw at highly rated KVSK United and wins for Sporting du Pays de Charleroi with the smallest margin at home to FCV Dender EH courtesy of an Ederson strike just before the interval. At the bottom half of the table AFC Tubize climbed off the foot of the table by sharing the points at Royal Boussu Dour Borinage while our next opponent KS Wetteren are rock bottom after another home loss to highflying Walloon outfit RCS Visé. | ||||
| 06/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
PROFILE OPPONENT * VC EENDRACHT AALST 2002 | ||||
Referees: Jimmy Verhe - Manuel Sacré - Maarten Coeck As VC Eendracht Aalst 2002 celebrated winning the title in the third tier of Belgian football last spring, a lot of second division managers wasted no time in reminding gaffer Bart Van Renterghem that he must defend his team credentials and stay up. "The big question for VC Eendracht Aalst is whether they can repeat the kind of season they had last year", most managers grumbled. VC Eendracht Aalst, of course, are more than capable of providing an emphatic answer to this over the next seven months. It’s not that they will be winning back-to-back titles but with their current eight place in the second division ranking they are more than happy. And that’s a surprise because with that very public spat between several board members and very limited resources due to financial mismanagement the club wasn’t very active in the summer transfer window. Having said that their actual away form is terrific; the Onions have managed the biggest total of points outside the Pierre Cornelisstadium bar frontrunner K.A.S. Eupen. But also a meagre number of points in their own stadium due to the pressure of a vociferous crowd pushing them forward leaving big gaps in defence to exploit by visiting teams. And due to the financial constraints, the tension between several board members has not been completely diffused; it is still simmering and could erupt at any moment. Their partnership, however uneasy, is the foundation on which VC Eendracht Aalst’s recent success story has been built and if one of them flounces off everything could collapse. On the pitch, gaffer Bart Van Renterghem did strenghten the side with the acquisitions of two former Royal Antwerp boys, namely midfield dynamo Marco Gbarssin and wide player Bas Vervaeke. But both of them are even not regular starters, so this just to say that our next opponent are no pushovers. In goal diminutive Van den Noortgaete helped by defenders Filipovic, Podevijn and De Schutter are keeping clean sheets at an absolute minimum but the strength of VC Eendracht Aalst is in attack. Although they let leave experienced striker Ode Thompson it is strikersduo Depoître and Moreels who are frightening opposite defences. In midfield little playmaker Gallucci and well-travelled Bob Cousin need to deliver the bullets for the lethal strikers. In this eagerly awaited clash at Pierre Cornelisstadium a bumper crowd is expected.
Founded : 1919 | ||||
| 02/12/2011 - Frank Nicola | ||||
| Consult our archive for older items |
Season 2008-2009 
Season 2009-2010 
Season 2010-2011 
Have you been feeling tired, empty, irritable and consumed by an overwhelming hopelessness over the last couple of days? If so, you have been suffering from a depressive syndrome called middle of the season or winter break affective disorder. According to psychologists, who clearly don’t have enough to do, this affects up to thousands of football fans following the Belgian second division during the wintermercato. But those symptoms actually sound more like what most fans experience during the season, not in the middle of it. This time of year we’re all struck with two different problems: ridiculously optimistic syndrome to be worldbeaters after the winter break and the circus of transfer speculation syndrome in January 2012. The symptoms of the former are believing your team is finally about to sweep the board and uttering such phrases as:
"Yeah, I know we are lying in an uncomfortable sixth position at the time of writing, but the addition of a winger and an reserve alternative for Kevin Oris could really make all the difference." Even managers are not immune from it. Witness our new gaffer Bart Wilmssen’s boast this time of the year that his team could go places and put a winning streak together if the topstriker in the third tier of Belgian Football, Jimmy Fockaert, whom he worked with could be added to the squad and form a lethal and potent strikers partnership with Kevin Oris so that we could go through the rest of the season unscathed without losing a game! And you know you’re suffering from the latter when you find yourself wearing out the digits 541 and 542 on your remote control (yes, some people still use VRT Teletext), endlessly checking football websites such as 
Don’t worry, if the winter break got his marching orders on January 7, this will be the antidote to these complaints, a time when we willingly submit to the emptiness, irritability and hopelessness the psychologists wrongly attribute to the fortninght between the first half of the season and the remainder of the season from Jan 7 onwards. And the strange thing is we love it, and in increasing numbers too at Bosuil Stadium. Despite all the cut-backs and financial problems in the Belgian second division, our crowds are at their highest levels for many years with a lowest (5 600 against relegation fodder and whipping boys KS Wetteren) and a highest (9 000 against last year relegated from the Jupiler Pro League outfit K.A.S. Eupen on opening day and the same crowd against coastal team KV Ostend!) so let’s say support the new management team pulling the ropes in our lovely club, banish the syndromes and join the crowds, football is back on Jan 7.
Doing the double over highflying Lommel United this season proved Royal Antwerp Football Club have the personnel to more than compete in the second tier of Belgian football. Bart De Roover and his successor Bart Wilmssen have built a solid defence and Théo Dufourny is now arguably the best goalkeeper in this division, but the team’s power base is in midfield, where Guy Dufour and Romanian maestro Andrei Ionescu provide the flair and Christophe Meyers and unsung anchorman Benjamin Lambot the bite.
Despite having a cast of striking superstars on the pay roll, (Bobby Prince and Tosin Dosunmu) goals have been a problem. De Roover and later on Wilmssen should have heeded the warnings over Tosin Dosunmu, who has never been the same player since he was a potent goalscorer a few years ago at our local rivals Beerschot AC and started believing the hype. Bobby Prince has been another expensive mistake, while skipper Kevin Oris should do better than this season’s total of a mere 6 goals.
Oumar Diouck spent years in the Beerschot youth sides, but when they dithered about offering him a contract, our Reds swiped him. Although not on the scoring charts, he has a lot of potential and maybe with his acquisition in the future we won the lottery. No one really noticed Théo Dufourny slip into Belgian football on loan from Olympique Lyon in July, but the goalkeeper with the double nationality is an excellent shotstopper and excelled already with some outstanding performances. Karel De Smet is a 30-year-old Belgian defender coming from K.V.K. Tienen and every pundit sees one of the best defenders in the division, in terms of reading the game and the emperor actually likes it a lot to wear the beautiful red-and-white.
Inconsistent is the best way to sum up our first half of the season. Summer signings are still bedding in and new manager Bart Wilmssen has had to whittle down his rather large squad. Normally spoken at the end of the January transfer window Niels Martin, Franky Pelgrims, Plaisir Bahamboula, Wesley Pollemans and others won’t be any longer on Royal Antwerp’s chequebook. The signings of Guy Dufour, Denis Viane and Karel De Smet have been eye-catching but it will be a certainty that transfer activity in the next month will be critical. If we bring in astute signings we may sneak the final play-off spot by winning the third period title or due to a ranking in the top three of the division. Fail to recruit well and we will settle in to the middle of the pack in the upper echelon of the ranking.
Heavy investment on and off the pitch has raised expectations, but our feet are planted firmly on the ground. After a blistering start the winless streak that followed was a harsh reality check. With that wobble now behind us, we’ll be aiming to stay in the top five and a tilt at the play-offs isn’t out of reach. We have shown some flashes of good work, but too often throw in poor performances. But with this young, vibrant team we will under the guidance of Bart Wilmssen only improve if the gaffer gets time, money and patience. Our former manager Bart De Roover emphasis was on a stingy defence, so wins were often of the 1-0 variety with a minimum on chances from both teams while under Bart Wilmssen the coaching philosophy is different. His style is less catenaccio and more tiki-taka; while we’re conceeding more we are also scoring more especially on set-pieces. So, on that front increased entertainment and Bosuil happiness at the halfway point.
I predicted that the negative soothsayers have called it wrong and so far have been proven correct. The commercial management tandem Hofmans-Heylen have now begin to see their footballing print materialise on the pitch and the organisation around the squad is more professional than ever before. Teamwise on the pitch it was hard to see where the goals were going to come from. If the management can find the key to their elusive transfer war chest there is no reason why Royal Antwerp Football Club won’t be battling for a Jupiler Pro League spot come May in the dreaded play-offs.
Season 2009-2010 
Season 2009-2010
