Anderlecht v Lokeren
Sunday 20 July – Brussels (18:00)
5/10 Draw 29/10 47/10
With the World’s biggest showpiece over we turn our attention to smaller football matters. The Belgian Pro League is set to start next weekend and the traditional Super Cup, which pits last season’s league winners against the cup winners, will provide a curtain raiser and some chance for early silverware on Sunday. The current league champions are none other than Anderlecht who scooped their third successive title and their visitors will be Lokeren who won their second cup title in three years.
Anderlecht are the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions (with 5 trophies) as well as in the Belgian Pro League (33 championships). They have also won nine Belgian Cups. The “Purple and White” hold the record of the most consecutive Belgian league titles, as they are the only side to have won 5 consecutive championships between 1963–64 and 1967–68. They clinched their 33rd league title last season needing a win against Lokeren on the final matchday and claimed a 3-1 home victory. Anderlecht played Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev in their final pre-season friendly last Friday. Ghana youth winger Frank Acheampong netted twice to hand Anderlecht a narrow 2-1 win over Kiev. The 21-year-old winger hit the opener for the Royal Blues in the 22nd minute before getting the winner for his side ten minutes from time. Anderlecht have an advantage in this match as the game will be played at their Constant Vanden Stock Stadium where they lost just once in 20 home matches (league) last season. Anderlecht conceded just 12 goals in their 20 home matches last season and scored 49. Serbian youngster Aleksandar Mitrovic was their most outstanding player and also finished as the team’s top goal scorer with 16 goals. The 19-year-old has what it takes to go to the top of European football and was recently pursued by Arsenal. He is brave, talented and has a killer instinct for goal.
Lokeren won their second Belgian Cup in three years last season with a 1-0 defeat of Zulte Waregem courtesy of a second-half header from their Danish defender Alexander Scholz. Lokeren had never claimed a major honour before their 2012 cup triumph. The “Tricolores” had a decent league season finishing fifth on the table, improving on their sixth place finish the season before. The teams’ striker Hamdi Harrbaoui was the league’s top scorer with 22 goals. The 28-year-old Tunisian was also instrumental in the cup, scoring in both legs of the semi-final. There is some South African interest here as Lokeren boast Bafana international Ayanda Patosi. There was rumour that Patosi would move on but that looks unlikely after he was handed the number 10 jersey at the club. It is a sign of the respect of which the midfielder is held at Lokeren that they would give away a number usually reserved for either the best player in the side or the club’s chief playmaker. Lokeren struggled on the road in the league last season, managing just seven wins from 20 outings, losing nine times.
These sides contested the 2012 Super Cup with Anderlecht winning 3-2. The league champions won the Super Cup last season with a 1-0 victory over Genk and thus will be looking for their third consecutive Super Cup trophy and their 11th overall. Anderlecht also beat Lokeren in both league meetings last season and home advantage makes them a confident bet for another win here.
