One scored three times in a benefit game against Berliner AK (5-1), the other prepared the first two goals in Belgium’s 3-0 European Championship qualifier in Sweden: Wilfried Kanga and Dodi Lukebakio, both at Hertha BSC recently only in the second link, announce their ambitions for the starting eleven with their performance.
At Hertha, only the second choice: Wilfried Kanga (right).
IMAGO/Jan Huebner
He was considered one of the winners at the January camp in Bradenton/Florida. But when things got serious in the Bundesliga, there was not only irritatingly little going on at Hertha BSC, but also at Wilfried Kanga. The Franco-Ivorian, whom Hertha stole from Young Boys Bern for almost five million euros last summer, was chronically underserved and seemed increasingly inhibited in his own game.
Kanga triple pack against the Berlin AK
At the end of January, a toe injury put him out of service, at the beginning of March the center forward returned to team training – and in the benefit game against the regional league club Berliner AK on Friday evening he set a scent mark with a hat-trick in time for the end of the season. “Three goals are good for the feeling. That was a good performance, he was freezing in front of the box,” said coach Sandro Schwarz and, in addition to the end, also praised “the boxing presence and how Willy moved in the rooms”.
Lukebakio is also convincing
Later in the evening, another Hertha attacker made a strong impression on the European stage. Dodi Lukebakio, like Kanga in the club’s last role as a joker, set up the first two goals of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku via cross and pass in Belgium’s 3-0 win in the European Championship qualifier in Solna against Sweden and was saved by the new national coach Domenico Tedesco when he was substituted after 61 minutes.
For Lukebakio, who narrowly missed out on the World Cup ticket under Tedesco’s predecessor Roberto Martinez, it was possibly the breakthrough in the national team in the fifth international match.
competition sparked
The rising form curve of Lukebakio and Kanga is just right for Hertha coach Schwarz before the decisive weeks of the season. The competition for the two places in the Berlin attack, which Jessic Ngankam and Florian Niederlechner last held, has flared up. Ngankam received universal praise for his debut in the German U21s against Japan (2-2) on Friday evening under the eyes of national coach Hansi Flick not only because of the penalty he had won and converted himself.
Stevan Jovetic, who played the second half of Montenegro’s 1-0 win in Bulgaria as part of the European Championship qualifier, also got important match practice on Friday. Winter newcomer Niederlechner, last played in the Hertha-Sturm team, had missed the benefit game against the BAK, whose proceeds benefit the earthquake victims in Turkey, because of a slight muscular problem in his thigh. “We didn’t want to take any risks. I assume Flo will come back next week,” said Schwarz. He knows: He has alternatives whose form fits.
