Standard U23 gamble on Zeqiri pays off with hat‑trick against Mons

Facing a chronic shortage of goals, Standard’s U23 side turned to the recently returned Swiss striker Andi Zeqiri for a much‑needed boost. The 27‑year‑old, who arrived from Poland this summer, was handed a start by coach Stéphane Guidi on Wednesday evening in the Division 1 FFA match against RAEC Mons.

Unexpected line‑up change

The team sheet surprised observers: Antoine Mazure, the French player originally slated as the experienced figure, was omitted, while Zeqiri featured in the starting eleven. Mazure’s absence left a gap that the Swiss forward was expected to fill.

Zeqiri delivers a hat‑trick

Zeqiri answered the call emphatically, netting a hat‑trick that secured a vital victory. He opened the scoring with two goals inside the first seventeen minutes, giving Standard an early lead.

The opposition, the Dragons, levelled through Inaka and later Brogno, but Brogno was dismissed six minutes before the break, reducing Mons to ten men.

In the second half Zeqiri completed his treble, sealing the win for the U23s and marking his first appearance on the pitch this season.

Impact on the table

The result lifted Standard’s U23s to ninth place with seven points, a modest improvement after having only four points earlier in the campaign, three of which came from a walkover against Olympic Charleroi.

Mons remain sixth with ten points, but a win could bring them within three points of the league leaders Meux and RWDM, and just one point behind the chasing pack of Rochefort‑Tubize Braine.

Broader context

Standard’s academy is under pressure to resolve its offensive woes; the youth team boasts the league’s best defence but has yet to score a goal before Zeqiri’s performance. His return from Poland and immediate impact suggest a possible solution to the scoring drought.

The full line‑ups saw Standard field Poitoux, Da Silva, Zeqiri, Fraipont, Creemers, Kalonji, Djuma Kasuku, Traoré, Kokora, Makiese and Hammas, with Durka, Malamba, Kilic, Onehese, Palstermans, Mbuyi Mundadi and Spoden on the bench. Mons lined up Vachoux, Beghin, Brogno, De Almeida, Dauchy, Bridoux, Tshimanga, Marmot, Bamona, Inaka and Agounon, with Valkenaers, Mindombe, Hallez, De Belder, Muzhaqi, Montegnies and Mukandila as substitutes.