At the end of Day 1 of the KDB Cup 2023, football fans got (besides the CL final between Manchester City and Inter on a big screen) another tasty extra. On Saturday evening, the U15 of home team KVE Drongen - homegrown talent in other words - took on the elite U14 of KAA Gent. The Buffaloes made it 0-2, thanks in part to a goal by a grandson of chairman Ivan De Witte. The game lasted 4 x 20 minutes and it was still hot on and around the pitch, which clearly played tricks on the young players.
"I still thought it was a nice experience," Thibo Beelaert told afterwards. He was captain of coach Michaël Meirlaen's team last term. "Then again, we don't play an elite-level team every week. Everyone with us was a bit more nervous than usual beforehand, because in recent weeks - after the end of the league - we talked a lot about this among ourselves. We probably won't go through something like this much again. We can live with this result, also our coach was very satisfied with our commitment and the quality of our play. We have only been playing interprovincial football for one season. This remains a unique experience. You did notice that they had more stature and strength, especially on stoppages. But technically and tactically we competed well. I especially want to remember that."
