Onuachu ends Belgian First Division A season with 29 goals as Royal Antwerp stun Genk

A late comeback performance from the hosts denied the Smurfs maximum points with their first league loss since February 21

Paul Onuachu has ended the 2020-21 Belgian First Division A campaign with 29 goals after his brace in Genk’s 3-2 loss to Royal Antwerp on Saturday.

The record is the 26-year-old’s best goalscoring return in his professional career and he is eight goals above OH Leuven’s Thomas Henry who has 21 league goals.

The Super Eagles striker fired the visitors ahead at the Bosuilstadion with his 22nd-minute opener, and he later made it 2-0 with his strike from the penalty spot, four minutes after the hour mark.

Onuachu has scored at least a goal in his last five matches in all competitions, including his international heroics with Nigeria where he scored in each of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho last month.

Genk were on course to end the Belgian top-flight campaign with an unbeaten streak until Cameroon striker Didier Lamkel Ze inspired Royal Antwerp’s comeback with his goal in the 67th minute.

Just before Lamkel Ze’s goal, Onuachu was replaced by his compatriot Cyril Dessers who ended his debut league outing in Belgium with four goals in 27 matches.

On the stroke of full-time, the hosts showed their resilience with DR Congo’s Dieumerci Mbokani scoring a 90th-minute equaliser followed by a match-winning goal from Dylan Batubinsika, two minutes later.

The late blow saw Genk remain third in the First Division A table with 56 points from 33 matches while Antwerp stretched their lead in the second spot to four points above their rivals. 

In total, Onuachu was involved in 31 goals in 33 league appearances which include two assists.

The Nigeria striker alongside Dessers still have a chance of ending the 2020-21 season with a silverware with Genk scheduled to battle Standard Liege in the Belgian Cup final on April 25.

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