KV Mechelen had an important oefenpot this week as they faced Dunkerque in France. The match took place at the Stade du Kuipje and served as a valuable preparation ahead of the upcoming season.
The first half saw some promising moments for both teams, but it was Dunkerque who managed to take an early lead. Through Mechelen's left flank, Dunkerque easily advanced, although their efforts were narrowly missed by the Kakkers' goalkeeper Miras with a close shot. The Mechelse defense put pressure on the French side, leading to occasional errors from Dunkerque, but Malinwa could not capitalize on these opportunities.
The presence of Steve Nzonzi, a world champion with France in 2018, was notable as he watched the match from the bench. Despite the team's efforts, the first half ended with little to show for it. Vanderbiest had to substitute Moncef Zekri due to an unfortunate incident on the field, and his absence could impact the upcoming season.
In the second half, both teams showed more attacking intent but struggled with finishing. Malinwa did get some chances in the final minutes but was unable to score against the French defense. The match concluded without a goal for KV Mechelen, setting the stage for their first official game of the new season on Sunday against AA Gent.
KV Mechelen (4-2-3-1): Miras; Corbanie, Decoene, Diouf, Zekri (74’ Struyf); Hammar, Salifou, Van Meirvenne (74’ Mbasi), Praet (58’ Bafdili), Van Brederode; Raman
Meanwhile, Norman Bassette scored his first goal for Westerlo in a friendly match against Samsunspor. The Turkish team won the match 2-1 with goals from Souza and Mendes.
Doelpunten: 23’ Bassette 1-0, 65’ Souza 1-1, 68’ Mendes 1-2 Westerlo: Jungdal, Mbamba (41’ Borregaard, Ndembi (73’ Lapage), Kimura, Ourega, Saito (62’ Bohamdi Kamoni), Haspolat (73’ Sydorchuk), Fofana, Sakamoto (78’ Borys), Van Den Keybus (62’ Amenaglo), Bassette (73’ Patrao)
