In a pleasant match against KV Mechelen, a clever Charleroi closed the gap with the safe regions thanks to goals from Zorgane (2x) and Sylla. Malinwa ends 2023 in tenth place, barely one point above the avoidable thirteenth place. Both teams await ten more finals in 2024 to ensure retention in the first division.
Before the start of the first leg at Armistice, Charleroi was still one point and two places above KV Mechelen. More than a month and a half later, the roles were reversed. While Malinwa had worked its way to the bottom of the rankings, Charleroi had both feet firmly in the relegation swamp. Although the difference between the two teams was only four points. A home win and the gap was closed, a Mechelen three-pointer could give KVM a lot of oxygen. With yellow-red, the eleven against Standard kicked off. We counted four changes among the Karolos: Van Cleemput, Morioka, Mbenza and Sylla made an appearance. The home team was put on edge in advance by its fans, who demanded a win from their team.
Quick opening goal
“Both teams have no secrets from each other,” KVM coach Besnik Hasi said before the microphone. After barely three minutes, those words were already killing him. After a somewhat unconventional, almost harmless free kick towards the crescent from Mbenza, the Mechelen defense lost sight of Zorgane. From sixteen meters, the Algerian headed the ball past a perplexed Coucke, who did not go free. The visitors did not come out of the dressing room sharply, because Guiagon posed a threat, especially on the left. It took more than fifteen minutes before Malinwa showed up. With a clever backheel, Hairemans reached Walsh, whose cross was quickly deflected to Koffi by Foulon. Hairemans was also responsible for the next Mechelen chance, but Bassette missed his control and Koffi made an easy save.
Just when KV Mechelen seemed to be fighting their way into the match, the Zebras broke the resistance with a deadly counter-jab. A busy Guiagon put Bates to the wind and found central Sylla: 0-2. In the final quarter of the first company, yellow-red looked in vain for the tying goal, but Charleroi kept the ranks well closed.
Photo: BELGIAN
Substitute provides momentum
The second half started with two changes. For the home team, Ilaimaharitra replaced the injured Morioka. Hasi victimized Walsh for young striker Bill Antonio. However, it was Charleroi that threatened first through a long run from Mbenza. Cobbaut prevented Sylla from scoring his second of the evening. The visitors tried, but the 3-0 was more up in the air than the follow-up. With a bit of luck, Coucke was able to keep Zorgane’s volley out of his goal. On the other side, Antonio seemed to be making up his mind, but Andreou was back just in time. Charleroi failed to pull the trigger and when the ball reached Bassette via Antonio and Foulon, the score was 2-1. The substitution of the 21-year-old super-fast Zimbabwean had done KV Mechelen no harm. Vanlerberghe also made himself noticed. The midfielder pushed well on the right and found an egg past Bassette, who came close to being unable to put his toe to make it 2-2. After Bernier missed the chance to make it 3-1, Koffi whipped Bassette’s header out of his cage. A golden save that was followed by a second goal from Zorgane, which gave Charleroi three much-needed points and pulled Malinwa back into the relegation swamp.
2023-12-27 21:50:00
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