Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 10:36 PM• Chris Meijer • Last update: 23:27

John van den Brom has won his first main prize with KRC Genk. The team of the Dutch coach was in the final of the Belgian Cup, which is officially called the Croky Cup, with 1-2 too strong for Standard Liège, due to goals from Junya Ito and Théo Bongonda in the second half. The cup win means Van den Brom his fourth prize during his coaching career, after he previously won the national championship with Anderlecht and won the supercup twice.

Despite the occasional changeable performances, Genk qualified as number four of the regular competition for the championship round of the Jupiler Pro League with Club Brugge, Antwerp and Anderlecht. Van den Brom’s team also has a successful cup campaign, as the final was reached by dealing with successively Thes Sport, STVV, KV Mechelen and Anderlecht. Opponent Standard settled on the way to the final battle in the King Baudouin Stadium of Brussels with, among others, Club Brugge, but escaped a goal against early in the game.

Kristian Thorstvedt hit the post after three minutes of play. After the entertaining first minutes, a cautious game ensued, with little pinpricks back and forth. Genk was the most dangerous team and had small opportunities, through Bryan Heynen, among others. It took until shortly after the break before the ban was broken. Bongonda brought Ito into position. The Japanese remained very cool in the penalty area and outwitted goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart by placing the ball in the far corner.

After the opening goal, Genk remained the boss in Brussels, making the 0-2 more in the air than an equalizer. Attempts by Heynen and Thorstvedt did not yield a second goal of the evening. On the other hand, Jackson Muleka showed himself, but his attempt was not on target. With ten minutes left on the clock, Bongonda decided to double the final battle by the margin. Muleka brought the tension back with the connection goal, but Van den Brom’s team held its own in the final phase, partly because Moussa Sissako had to leave with a red card in injury time. Genk thus took the Belgian Cup for the first time since 2013 and for the fifth time in club history.