BACK IN TIME: BEERSCHOT – AA GENT, SEASON 1989-1990

With Beerschot starting the 2020-2021 season in the First Division, we look back at our club’s history and turn the spotlight on a corresponding fixture from yesteryear…

Today: Beerschot - AA Gent 2-0, season 1989-1990

BRILLIANT LATE GOAL BY SIMON TAHAMATA
The league encounter between “de Mannekes” and “de Buffalo’s” from 31 years ago was just an ordinary game in which Beerschot found their best form in the second half. Before the break goalkeeper Peter Kerremans had produced a couple of miraculous saves keeping his team in the match.

Beerschot won the game in the last five minutes. Mark Talbut headed in number one from a headed assist by Michel Rasquin, and seconds before the final whistle Simon Tahamata put the icing on the cake with a brilliant goal. Little Simon picked up a pass from Danny Ngombo, sprinted past the whole AA Gent defense and chipped the ball over Kazimierski in the far corner. A marvelous finish.

The 1989-1990 season was Tahamata’s third and last campaign in purple and white. At first the Moluccan magician didn’t find his rhythm in the Olympic Stadium. And it was only after a couple of disgruntled fans had put up a banner saying “Sshhh, Simon’s asleep” that he woke up… and dazzled on the pitch like he had done earlier at Ajax, Standard Liège and Feyenoord.

In the end Simon Tahamata played 99 games for Beerschot, scoring 12 goals. Together with his best friend Jos Daerden he was then transferred to neighbours Germinal Ekeren. After six seasons in the Veltwijck Park he eventually hung up his boots and started his career as a youth coach. That new job proved a perfect fit. In that capacity he returned to Germinal Beerschot, where he guided and put dozens of our youngsters to a higher level.   

SATURDAY 28 APRIL 1990 – OLYMPIC STADIUM
BEERSCHOT – AA GENT  2 – 0
ATTENDANCE: 3.000
REFEREE: Goris
GOALS: 84’ Talbut 1-0, 89’ Tahamata 2-0
BEERSCHOT: Kerremans, N’Gombo, Camerman, Verstraeten, Luyckx (69’ Arisvaldo), Talbut, Rasquin (43’ Van Cleemput), Daerden, Claessens, Tahamata, Brylle  
AA GENT: Kazimierski, De Groote (89’ D’Hooghe), Verbruggen, Winkels, Medved, Cooreman (77’ Van Laere), Janssens, Herbots, Balenga, Soudan, Veyt
YELLOW CARDS: Cooreman, Kerremans

Beerschot finished the 1989-90 season in 8th place. Club Brugge were crowned champions, with Anderlecht, KV Mechelen and Antwerp being the other teams in the top four.
Coach Georges Heylens started as head coach but resigned early in the season. Aad Koudijzer was his successor.

Beerschot’s squad: Peter Kerremans, Johan Creemers, Patrick Nys, Mansoni Danny N’Gombo, Attila Pinter, Mike Verstraeten, Johan Vanheusden, Patrick Verdooren, Michel Rasquin, Mark Talbut, Freddy Luyckx, Alex Camerman, Gino Iorgulescu, Eric Van Coillie, Jos Francken, Godwin Okpara, Lucian Balan, Jos Daerden, Bachir Makhi, Peter Van Cleemput, Danny Schroyens, Heiko Neubert, Stefaan Smet, Stef Agten, Morceau Lutonadio di Vita, Arisvaldo Pereira, Spencer Smolders, Patrick Goots, Laszlo Sabadi, Simon Tahamata, Glenn Dillens, Peter Claessens and Kenneth Brylle

By Danny Geerts