Harambee Stars’ composed defender Joseph Okumu featured for the full minutes on Sunday evening as his KAA Gent side defeated Kortrijk 2-1 at the Ghelamco Arena to record their first victory in 2023 in all competitions after two failed attempts.Having fallen against Antwerp in their first match of the year before being denied the chance of defending their Belgian Cup title as they were knocked out in the quarterfinals following a 4-0 loss against Royale Union, a hurting Gent turned their attention to a Kortrijk side who sat just a point above relegation before their clash.FT 2-1 | Double Trouble Hugo & drie punten in de sacoche 🎉 #gntkvk #jpl #ft pic.twitter.com/UOQXXy4veZ— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) January 15, 2023 Straight from kickoff, the Hein Vanhaezebrouck coached side let made their intentions clear as they got the perfect start in the match as 25-year-old forward Hugo Cuypers found the back of the net after being fed by Vadis Odidja-Ofoe just seven minutes in.Two minutes later, Okumu and his defensive partnership were let off the hook when Japanese international Tsuyoshi Watanabe had momentarily restored parity in the encounter. However, the goal was disallowed following a VAR check which ruled out the goal for offside.💬 Hugo Cuypers: “Altijd leuk om te scoren, maar het belangrijkste blijft de winst” https://t.co/0eCvMsSsPG #gntkvk #jpl pic.twitter.com/kyN4mJTbdl— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) January 15, 2023 Gent managed to keep out the opposition following the scare and took a further step of giving themselves some breathing space when Cuypers once again found the telling touch in the 69th minute to double his side’s lead. Five things we learnt from FKFPL Week 9However, five minutes later, Massimo Bruno ensured the end to the clash would be a frantic one as he pulled one back for the visitors.##NAJAVA_MECA_6945077##The home side however managed to contain late pressure from them as they thwarted any danger in their territory to seal a crucial three pointes that cemented their place in fifth on the log – a UEFA Europa Conference League spot.The visitors on the other hand stayed just one point above the relegation places.
