Uitblinkende Gent-keeper's book tactic fuels Conference League survival

In a cramped locker room at the LNZ Cherkasy tie, 32‑year‑old Davy Roef, the Uitblinkende Gent-keeper, turned the pages of a notebook to decide each penalty, helping KAA Gent survive the second qualifying round of the Conference League on a tense evening.

Roef explained that the whole Oekraïense LNZ Cherkasy squad had seventeen players who had ever taken a penalty, saying, "Cherkasy.'Ik think the whole squad in total have seventeen players ever on the spot". He added that memorising all names was impossible for a 32‑year‑old who left school twelve years ago.

The preparation, according to Roef, was thorough: "Our preparation was top. We studied everything in detail. There were too many names to stick on a water bottle, so we chose a book." During the shootout he would glance at the jersey number, then consult the book to see where the player last struck a penalty before making his decision.

Trainer Ivan Leko praised both Roef and keeper coach Bart Van Tornhout, stating, "This is the moment to put our keeper trainer in the spotlight. You don't easily find images of all those players. Bart has put incredible work into this." The acknowledgement highlighted the behind‑the‑scenes effort that contributed to the shootout success.

Gent narrowly survived the two‑legged encounter with the Oekraïense side, edging past LNZ Cherkasy by the smallest of margins. The victory propels KAA Gent into the next round of the competition.

In the upcoming stage, KAA Gent will face Swedish club IFK Göteborg, continuing their campaign in the Conference League.

Roef summed up the experience, noting that relying on a book rather than memory allowed him to make informed choices under pressure, a method that proved decisive in the high‑stakes penalty series.