Second go at Belgian Super Cup
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Article summary
RSC Anderlecht and SV Zulte Waregem meet in the postponed Belgian Super Cup game in Brussels tonight with both sides likely to be below strength.
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The usual Belgian season curtain-raiser will instead end their fixtures for 2006 when the postponed Super Cup match between reigning champions RSC Anderlecht and Belgian Cup holders SV Zulte Waregem takes place at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium in Brussels.
Abandoned match
Originally played on 22 July, the match was abandoned at the break due to heavy rainfall with the score at 0-0. Anderlecht, hoping for a seventh win in 13 attempts - second only to Clube Brugge KV - have selection headaches with coach Frank Vercauteren admitting he will have an under-strength side. Strikers Mbark Boussoufa and Jonathan Legear are suffering from flu, fellow forward Mohamed Tchite has hamstring trouble, defender Anthony Vanden Borre has an ankle injury, while attacker Nicolas Frutos also faces a late fitness test. Vercauteren said: "We will not use anyone when there are risks involved. We were already considering giving some youngsters a chance, but now we do not have a choice now. This match comes at a bad time."
Depleted debutants
Anderlecht lie second in the league ahead of the winter break until 20 January, but are out of Europe. Meanwhile Zulte Waregem - for whom the Belgian Cup was their first ever major trophy after their formation following a merger - are making their Super Cup debut and have proved their worth by reaching the UEFA Cup Round of 32, though are tenth in the league. They will rest Stijn Meert and Nathan D'Haemers, Tjorven De Brul's knee problem means he is still only in individual training while goalkeeper Geert De Vlieger and midfielder Tony Sergeant are recovering from heel and knee surgery respectively. Forwards Cédric Roussel and Tim Matthys may start on the bench, after a hectic schedule in recent days in which Zulte Waregem have secured seven points in three games and secured UEFA Cup progress.
'Prestige at stake'
On Saturday they defeated R. Charleroi SC 1-0, but chairman Willy Naessens said: "If I could choose between a league victory against Charleroi or winning the Super Cup against Anderlecht, I would choose the latter as there is still a cup involved here. But on the other hand I will not shed one tear if we lose, as the match is of no real importance - there is only prestige at stake."