Cameroon international Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui and Morocco’s Tarik Tissoudali were on target as KAA Gent defeated KV Mechelen 2-1 in a Belgian Pro League fixture at Achter de Kazerne on Tuesday night.
It was a headed goal from the 31-year-old Ngadeu which put the Buffalos ahead in the 36th minute but the home team levelled matters in the 89th minute courtesy of Geoffry Hairemans before Tissoudali scored the winning goal in the 94th minute.
Gent headed into the fixture having beaten the same side 1-0 three days ago but the goal scorer of that game – Kenya defender Joseph Okumu – did not start. It was Gent, who went for an early goal and they should have scored in the seventh minute when Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe slid in from the right but his effort was punched out by goalkeeper Gaetan Coucke.
Five minutes later, Mechelen responded with an attack of their own as midfielder Kerim Mrabti combined well with Nikola Storm from the centre of play before releasing Vinicius Souza but his one-time left-footed effort could not trouble Davy Roef.
Gent were then forced to wait until the 36th minute when Ngadeu rose the highest to power home a header from Alessio Castro-Montes’s delivery which left keeper Coucke stranded.
With a minute left to the half-time whistle, Mechelen were presented a great chance to level matters from the penalty spot but Mrabti’s weak effort was saved by Roef.
After the break, Ghana international Elisha Owusu hit the post for Gent as they searched for the second goal. It was Gent once again, who attacked as Owusu teed up Darko Lemajic with a clever backheel pass, but the Serbian took time to make a decision and the ball was taken away by Thibault Peyre.
In the 67th minute, Gent coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck made a double change, bringing in Kenya’s Okumu for Andreas Hanche-Olsen while Lemajic was also withdrawn for Morocco’s Tissoudali.
However, it was Mechelen, who scored after Hairemans curved in a free-kick that flew past Roef into the roof of the net. With the game destined for a draw, the Atlas Lion popped up with what turned out to be the winner, rifling home from close range.
Ngadeu has netted three First Division A goals this term, and chipped in with one assist from 32 appearances while Tissoudali has managed 20 goals from 32 matches.
Gent will next come up against Genk at Cegeka Arena on Sunday.