Zulte Waregem came up short in a thrilling Belgian top-flight showdown on Saturday night, falling 4-3 to Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium, despite a late strike from Ghana U-20 forward Joseph Opoku.
The home side wasted no time asserting themselves, opening the scoring inside the opening ten minutes when Aleksandar Stanković pounced to convert decisively and set the tone for an action-packed contest.
Waregem gradually grew into the game and were rewarded just before the interval. Marley Aké restored balance in the 38th minute, calmly finishing off a well-worked move created by Enrique Lofolomo.
The visitors completed the turnaround moments later, as Anosike Ementa found the net shortly after to send Waregem into the break holding a narrow 2-1 lead.
Club Brugge returned from halftime with renewed intensity and needed barely a minute to level matters, with Brandon Mechele heading home in the 46th minute.
Momentum swung back in Brugge’s favour when Stanković struck again on the hour mark, before Nicolò Tresoldi extended the hosts’ advantage in the 78th minute to make it 4-2.
Waregem pushed forward in search of a lifeline and found it late on through substitute Joseph Opoku, who reduced the deficit with ten minutes remaining to spark late drama.
However, despite mounting pressure in the closing stages, Waregem were unable to force a fourth goal as Brugge held on for the win.
The strike continues a solid campaign for Opoku, who now boasts three goals and three assists from 19 league outings, underlining his increasing influence in Belgium’s elite division.
