Alhassan Yusuf's crucial penalty propels Royal Antwerp to 5th consecutive victory

Nigerian-born midfielder Alhassan Yusuf continues to set the headlines ringing with yet another impressive performance for Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp.

The 22-year-old right-footed midfielder was in the thick of the action for Royal Antwerp again on Sunday, winning the defining penalty that helped his side secure a 2-1 away victory over KAA Gent at the Ghelamco Arena.

Yusuf's all-around energetic display in the middle of the park saw Royal Antwerp maintain their 100% start to the season as well as go level on points with league leaders Genk despite having played one match less.

The Royal Antwerp No. 8 started his fifth consecutive match in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday, lining up with veteran midfielder Radja Nainggolan as well as Pieter Gerkens in the midfield.

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The Super Eagles hopeful helped Royal Antwerp turn the tide around after the visitors fell behind to a Sven Kums goal in the 10th minute.

However, Royal Antwerp were behind for just five minutes as the talisman for the away side Vincent Janssen pulled his side level in the 15th minute off a William Pacho assist.

In the 26th minute, Alhassan Yusuf was fouled in the Gent penalty area and after intervention from the Video-Assistant Referee (VAR), the visitors were awarded a penalty which Michael Frey dispatched to give Royal Antwerp the victory.

Yusuf's penalty was a testament to the boundless energy the 22-year-old displayed against Gent, with the Nigerian conveniently outdoing even Nainggolan on the pitch.

The Nigerian-born midfielder tallied 45 accurate passes at a success rate of 84.9% while laying off two (2) successful long balls out of three (3) attempts and completing two (2) dribbles out of four (4) attempts.

Yusuf was impressive in shielding his defence against Gent's attacks, recording four (4) interventions, four (4) tackles, and winning eight (8) of the 14 duels he contested during the match.

The Nigerian international is expected to be in action again on Wednesday, August 31 when Royal Antwerp welcome defending champions Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to the Bosuilstadion for their Matchday 5 fixture of the 2022/23 Belgian Pro League season.