Time for the Cup. On Thursday evening, the Mauves travel to Genk for the Round of 16 in the Belgian Cup. After earning 12 points from 12 in the league, Besnik Hasi’s men want to extend their good form in the Cup as well. Sporting face a difficult challenge in Limburg, as the coach confirms: “But we are prepared for everything.” Watch his full press conference on Mauve TV.
Besnik Hasi opened with an update on Marco Kana, who will be sidelined until after the winter break due to an ankle injury. “It’s a tough verdict for us, of course, but we must deal with it. Marco has been a rock for us so far and, like the team, he has made a lot of progress this season.” With Killian Sardella slotting into central defence in recent weeks, Hasi has an internal solution ready: “Killian has always performed well centrally, which gives us enough options to cope with Marco’s absence.”
Nilson Angulo suffered a hand fracture during the derby win, but the Ecuadorian is in the squad for the Cup match. “The fracture doesn’t prevent him from playing. Nilson received a brace and trained well with it, so that won’t be a problem,” says Hasi. Will he rotate for the Cup tie? “It’s a very important game for us. After the final training session, we’ll see who’s fit and who will start. No decisions have been made yet.”
December is a demanding period for the Mauves: “We’re playing two matches in three days. You can feel that it’s the time of year when fatigue sets in, when pitches get heavier and injuries more frequent. We will need everyone in the coming weeks, especially with some players leaving for AFCON after the match against Sint-Truiden.” RSCA will likely be without Mario Stroeykens (Congo) and Ilay Camara (Senegal), and possibly Ali Maamar (Morocco). “It’s a great opportunity for them to play at a major tournament. We must find the right solutions, but we have enough players. What matters most is the team spirit and cohesion within the group. They are generous in working for each other.”
Players who feature less frequently, such as Mario Stroeykens and Yari Verschaeren, remain supportive and committed: “It helps the group. Their moment will come, that’s certain, and they’ll be ready,” Hasi added.
Whether Sporting can continue their strong momentum in the Cup will be revealed on Thursday at 20:30, when Genk and Anderlecht kick off the Round of 16 at the Cegeka Arena.