Ex-Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld scored a stoppage-time equaliser to hand Royal Antwerp the Belgian title in a dramatic end to the season on Sunday, their first in 66 years!In the dying minutes of a three-horse title race, Union Saint-Gilloise and Genk were set to become league champions, as the dramatic see-saw changed sides during the last 90 minutes on several occasions.Union SG – Club Brugge (1-3)KRC Genk – Antwerp (2-2)Minute 88: Union championsMinute 89: KRC Genk championsMinute 94: Antwerp champions. pic.twitter.com/Aq1bNlicxQ— Kristof Terreur (@kristofterreur) June 4, 2023 However, Antwerp’s veteran Alderweireld struck in the 94th minute to make it 2-2 at Genk. That sparked wild celebrations as it was enough to hand his hometown club their first title since the 1956-57 season.”I have no words for this,” said Alderweireld, 34, who joined Antwerp from Qatari side Al-Duhail last summer.”Everyone wrote us off, we fought so hard for this. Everyone was against us, but we did it today.”The 94th minute goal that Toby Alderweireld scored to win the title for his hometown club, Royal Antwerp. 😮💨🇧🇪It was a beauty. 🥵 pic.twitter.com/mVk9iGH6v8— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) June 4, 2023 Antwerp finished the season one point ahead of Genk and Union, who were set to become Belgian champions for the first time in 88 years, having only ended a 48-year absence from the top flight in 2021.However, Japanese striker Shion Homma equalised against Union for an under-strength Brugge to thrust Genk into pole position.Toby Alderweireld’s injury-time equaliser at Genk coupled with Union SG failing to beat Club Brugge means Antwerp, led by Mark van Bommel, win their first Belgian championship since 1957.A crazy final day which saw the lead exchange hands several times. pic.twitter.com/GLtKO4gS44— Mohamed Moallim (@iammoallim) June 4, 2023 At Genk, in the fourth of the added time, Alderweireld fired into the top corner from 20 yards to stun the home crowd, with coach Mark van Bommel and some of his staff charging onto the field to celebrate as the former Belgium defender ran the length of the field in front of the Antwerp fans.##NAJAVA_MECA_7304061##
