Toby Alderweireld scores 94th minute goal to help Royal Antwerp win first league title since 1957
Former Tottenham star Toby Alderweireld scores a STUNNING equalizer in the 94th minute to give home club Royal Antwerp their first league title since 1957
- Toby Alderweireld scored a stunning equalizer in the 94th minute for Royal Antwerp
- The goal outwitted Antwerp Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise to the title
- It was the first title of Antwerp – Alderweireld’s home club – since 1957
Toby Alderweireld shot in a stunning last breath goal to help Royal Antwerp win their first league title since 1957.
The former Tottenham Hotspur defender – who joined the club from his hometown last summer – equalized from outside the box in the 94th minute as Antwerp salvaged a 2-2 draw against title rivals Genk.
After a long ball was played forward, the ball was put down for Alderweireld, who shot into the top left corner on an attempt, leading to wild celebrations among his teammates.
As he drove off, he ran across the pitch to where the Antwerp supporters were housed, being chased by his teammates and the club’s coaching staff, causing pandemonium among the group.
In a dramatic end to the season, the goal saw Antwerp beat both Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise by just one point to win the Belgian national title (Jupiler Pro League) for the first time in 66 years.
Former Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld scored a goal in a stunning 94th minute to help Royal Antwerp win their first league title since 1957
Genk led the game 2-1 and had they held on to the three points they would have won the title.
Meanwhile, Union Saint-Gilloise were in pole position to become champions, but collapsed late in the season, failing to win any of their last three games, including a 3–1 defeat to outgoing champions Club Brugge on Sunday.
The goal was Alderweireld’s seventh of the season with the 34-year-old – who left Spurs in 2021 to join Qatar’s Al-Duhail – emerging as a key figure for Mark van Bommel’s side.
Alderweireld joined the club last July on a three-year deal. He has always said that he wanted to play for Antwerp at some point in his career, as he was born in the Belgian city.
He had never played domestic football in his home country after joining Ajax as a youngster, but he delivered on his promise and more by helping Antwerp emerge victorious in the exciting triple title race.
The former Belgium international – who retired from international football after his country’s dismal World Cup campaign – even has a tattoo of Antwerp Cathedral on his arm.
Antwerp are now playing in the Champions League for the first time since the 1957-58 season – the year after they won that historic last league title.