Union Saint-Gilloise Claims Belgian Supercup in Dramatic Penalty Shootout
Union Saint-Gilloise captured the Belgian Supercup on Friday night, defeating Club Brugge 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the Jan Breydelstadion in Bruges. New signing Relebohile Mofokeng converted the decisive spot-kick to hand the Brussels club its second Supercup in three years, as Sporza reported.
A Tight Contest in Bruges
The match, which opened the 2026/27 Belgian football season, saw Club Brugge take the lead in the 49th minute through Nicolo Tresoldi’s stunning volley. The home side, competing as league champions, appeared on course for victory until Kevin Mac Allister equalized for Union in the 77th minute after a neat one-two with Mohammed Fuseini.
Union twice escaped danger in the closing stages. A penalty claim by Carlos Forbs was waved away by referee Lawrence Visser, and Promise David cleared a Brandon Mechele header off the line in stoppage time. With no extra time played in the Supercup, the match went straight to penalties.
Penalty Drama
Union converted all five of its spot-kicks through David, Khalaili, Zeneli, Zorgane, and Mofokeng. Club Brugge scored through Tresoldi, Lemarechal, Mechele, and Vermant, but newcomer Cheveyo Tsawa saw his fourth penalty saved by Union goalkeeper Vic Chambaere. The 19-year-old Swiss midfielder, signed from Zurich for 6 million euros, was making his debut as a substitute.
“For him personally that will of course be a shame,” Club Brugge captain Hans Vanaken said, defending his teammate. “But ultimately: if you don’t take responsibility, you can’t miss either. There’s always someone who’s the fall guy in a penalty shootout. Today it’s him.”
Mofokeng’s Instant Impact
The decisive penalty was scored by Relebohile Mofokeng, Union’s new South African signing from Orlando Pirates. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who joined for a South African record fee of 3.5 million euros, was celebrated as the match-winner in his first official appearance for the club.
“That I immediately gave Union a prize? That wasn’t because of my penalty,” Mofokeng said modestly after the match. “It was a real team effort. Everyone fought until the end.”
Mofokeng’s arrival has already caused a massive social media surge for Union, with transfer posts receiving over half a million likes and the club’s Instagram gaining more than 80,000 followers, as Sporza detailed. The South African’s popularity has exploded across Belgian media, with La Libre profiling the young star, while Soccer Laduma reported on his heroics back in South Africa.
Chambaere’s Heroics and Controversy
Union goalkeeper Vic Chambaere was the penalty hero, saving Tsawa’s spot-kick. After the match, he blew kisses to the Club Brugge fans behind his goal, sparking a heated reaction from the home supporters. “You have to play the bastard sometimes,” Chambaere said, as Sporza reported.
Despite the theatrics, Chambaere remained humble about his contribution: “I wouldn’t say I’m the penalty hero. I could have saved three. I was close a few times. Fortunately I was able to contribute, but I wouldn’t say I’m the penalty hero. That’s maybe the humility in me. It was mainly a team effort.”
Club Brugge Remains Calm
Despite the disappointment, Club Brugge players were measured in their reaction. Vanaken noted that several key players had only recently returned from World Cup duty. “We’ve only been training for three days and this was our first match again,” he said. “I think we were the better team over ninety minutes. It’s of course a shame that you lose a prize.”
Brandon Mechele echoed similar sentiments, as Sporza’s reaction piece captured: “We played a good first match. We had good combinations, but against Union you know you have to be efficient. They are physically already further along than us, because they have to play in Europe next week.”
Looking Ahead
Union’s Supercup triumph provides momentum ahead of their Champions League third qualifying round clash against Bodo/Glimt next week. Union coach David Hubert praised his team’s resilience: “We have also shown mental resilience to come back from a deficit in this stadium.”
For Club Brugge, attention now turns to the league season. “The competition remains more important,” Vanaken said. “We want to take a good start there now.”
This is Union’s second Supercup win in three years, having also triumphed in 2024. Club Brugge remains the all-time record holder with over 18 Supercup victories, as Wikipedia notes. The Union official website celebrated the victory as a perfect start to the new season, while Club Brugge’s official site acknowledged the defeat with a detailed match report.