Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau will hope to steer second-tier side Royal Union St Gilloise into the Belgian Cup final over the next week‚ starting with the first leg of their semifinal against Mechelen on Wednesday night.
Tau has been in impressive form for Union this season while on loan from English Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion‚ and has been key in helping them into a first cup semifinal in 50 years.
That has included defeats of top-tier sides Anderlecht and Genk‚ and standing in the way of the side now are another second division team in Mechelen‚ who have already beaten Union twice in the league this season.
Mechelen are leading the charge for promotion and look odds on to be in the top-flight next season‚ posing a significant stumbling block for Tau and his teammates.
The Bafana star has previously told TimesLIVE that the welcome he received at Union has made him hungry to bring success to the club‚ either by helping them to promotion or in the Belgian Cup.
Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau eyeing a place in the Belgian Cup final
Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau will hope to steer second-tier side Royal Union St Gilloise into the Belgian Cup final over the next week‚ starting with the first leg of their semifinal against Mechelen on Wednesday night.
Tau has been in impressive form for Union this season while on loan from English Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion‚ and has been key in helping them into a first cup semifinal in 50 years.
That has included defeats of top-tier sides Anderlecht and Genk‚ and standing in the way of the side now are another second division team in Mechelen‚ who have already beaten Union twice in the league this season.
Mechelen are leading the charge for promotion and look odds on to be in the top-flight next season‚ posing a significant stumbling block for Tau and his teammates.
The Bafana star has previously told TimesLIVE that the welcome he received at Union has made him hungry to bring success to the club‚ either by helping them to promotion or in the Belgian Cup.
"They are good people‚ they have tried so much to accommodate me‚ the players and the coach [Luka Elsner]. I am grateful to be at a club like that‚” Tau said.
"There are so many memories that I have to capture and I have got a good objective to contribute as much as a I can to the team. If we do get promotion then I will be so happy because it is important to me.
"I would have to take a lot of pictures with the trophy! It would be a good step for me‚ arriving from South Africa to come here and win the league.
"I just get on and do my best alongside the other players. It is important for me to be a team player and I think I have done that‚ even at Sundowns and with the national team. It is important for me to keep on going in that direction.”
Tau has scored seven goals in 20 starts for Union this season‚ and also provided a number of assists‚ including a stunning effort in the local derby win over Anderlecht that brought him much joy.
"It was amazing but it doesn't give the same meaning to me as to people who are from around Brussels‚” Tau says.
“It gave me a lot of pleasure that I have helped them with that small piece of history‚ something that I can always look back on.
"Before the match people were telling me that they haven't seen a derby in their lifetime!”
If Tau does lift the cup this year he will join the likes of two-time winners Ayanda Patosi (Lokeren) and Anele Ngcongca (Genk) as South Africans to have been successful in the competition in the recent past.
The second leg of the semifinal will be played on Tuesday‚ with the final to be staged on May 1.
Gent and KV Oostende are the other two teams vying for a final spot.
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