Reluctant hero Davy Roef: Gent’s keeper wants less reliance

While KAA Gent continues to struggle for goals and leans heavily on its goalkeeper, Davy Roef emerged once again as the hero against LNZ Cherkasy, yet the 31‑year‑old admits he would prefer fewer heroic moments and less reliance on his saves.

KAA Gent still does not play top‑level football and finds it difficult to score, but the club can still count on a reliable goalkeeper. This reliance has become a recurring theme in their recent fixtures.

In the match against LNZ Cherkasy, Roef had limited action until the decisive moment. He saved Tverdokhlib’s penalty, a intervention that ultimately secured the win.

"Ik zou graag eens wat minder werk hebben," Roef said in his post‑match analysis. He added that a simpler victory would be nicer and that he does not want to be the man in the picture.

Roef also noted that the team wanted more from the game after the previous week but found it difficult. He highlighted that improvements are needed and that the blame cannot be placed solely on Cherkasy’s defensive style.

Coach Rik De Mil acknowledged Cherkasy’s defensive strength but refused to make excuses. He stated that Gent needed to do more, play faster, and that the overall tempo was insufficient to unsettle such opponents.

De Mil reflected that last season the team may have "missed the boat", but now they are more stable and can clinch hard‑fought victories. Roef concluded that the result is paramount and that from next week the squad must work harder, especially ahead of the upcoming clash with IFK Göteborg where a higher tempo will be required.

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