He was on his knees the moment the referee blew the final whistle, but it was a spontaneous act of Joseph Okumu’s relief after a vital away victory.His Gent downed Partizan Belgrade 1-0 and now sit alone at the top of UEFA Europa Conference League Group B with all nine points.Kenyan defender had a more than a solid game, covering left-back for the entire 90 minutes. Good on the ground, likewise in aerial duels, he provided his side with much-needed stability in the back, especially in the first half confronted with a former Liverpool’s winger Lazar Markovic.⚔️ The Battle of Belgrade⚔️ Part 1. We stay hungry 👊#UECL #pargnt #COBW pic.twitter.com/zQz3jVWMW1— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) October 21, 2021 Despite being a slight favourite, Partizan never lived up to the expectations, creating their first concrete, goal-scoring opportunities just seconds before the stoppage time. The visitors created half a dozen of chances, easily cutting through the home defence mostly thanks to unplayable playmaker Chakvetadze. His passes were accurate and constantly dangerous for the black and whites for most of the game. However, the scoreboard was showing 0-0 until the middle of the second half, when Sven Kums, left totally unmarked in the heart of the box, nailed a header for the win.Gent players celebrate (©AFP)Instead of waking up instantly, Partizan were on the brink of conceding another one shortly, but home keeper Popovic was the only among the hosts that deserves a pat on the back for his performance. Just when everyone at the stadium was pretty sure there will be no more excitement there, Partizan centre-back Vujacic fired a superb long-range shot that Gent custodian sent to a crossbar with the utmost effort.S. Kums goal Partizan Beograd 0 – 1 Gent @dailymotion – https://t.co/l1U0tNSaCH— tauran (@tauran43255625) October 21, 2021 A corner-kick that followed brought another chance for the draw, but Partizan didn’t deserve to tie the game at one after disappearing from the pitch for the previous almost 90 minutes.
