Doha: Belgian second division football team KAS Eupen took a giant step towards gaining promotion to the first division - the Belgian Pro League following an emphatic 5-2 victory at home to bottom-placed Hoogstraten VV.
The result leaves Eupen at the top of the table and undefeated, having won eight and drawn two of the opening ten games of the season.
The second tier Belgacom League is divided into three parts, with the team standing atop the table after each segment qualifying for end-of-season play-offs for promotion to the top tier.
Last weekend’s 10th round of games represented the end of the first segment, meaning that Eupen are now through to the play-offs.
However, if they can sustain their impressive early form, Eupen will gain automatic promotion by achieving the highest overall points total over the course of the season.
KAS Eupen were acquired by Aspire Zone Foundation last year, and their black and white kits are adorned by the Aspire Academy logo.
The young side contains several products of the Academy’s ‘Football Dreams’ project, identified at an early age as some of the most promising footballers in the world.
“Eupen’s players represent both the past and the future of Aspire Academy,” said Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy.
Bravo added: “The past because, in many cases, they have honed their skills at Aspire, and the future because we hope that they will go on to fulfil the mission of Aspire Zone – to develop world-class sporting talent who will grace the global stage as they reach their full potential.”
By playing for Eupen, the footballers are able to compete at a high level on a weekly basis in Belgium, whose conveyor belt of talent is increasingly becoming the envy of the world. In the last few years, Belgian nationals such as Eden Hazard, Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and Vincent Kompany have become household names as part of some of Europe’s most famous clubs.
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