▲ Yang Min-hyuk scoring his debut goal
Yang Min-hyuk, who recently led the South Korean under-23 men's national football team to victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scored a thrilling debut goal in his return match after rejoining his club.
Yang's club, Westerlo, secured a 5-1 landslide victory against Royal Antwerp in the 8th round of the 2026-2027 Belgian Pro League held on the 12th (KST) at Het Kuipje in Westerlo, Belgium.
Starting on the bench, Yang stepped onto the pitch in the 40th minute of the second half, replacing attacking midfielder Ryoya Sakamoto when his team was comfortably leading 4-1.
Just 11 minutes after being substituted in, Yang netted his debut goal 6 minutes into stoppage time.
During a counterattack, Yang used his speed to aggressively drive down the right flank, receiving a long throw from the goalkeeper.
After taking a deft touch to control the ball, he easily shook off a defender and unleashed a decisive left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, rippling the back of the net.
This is his debut goal in just his third appearance of this season.
Officially joining Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League (EPL) in January 2025, Yang is currently undergoing his fourth loan spell after passing through Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth, and Coventry City (all in the English Championship), before wearing the Westerlo jersey this season.
Yang played a pivotal role in securing the gold medal at the recently concluded 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, putting on a strong performance that included assisting Um Ji-sung's (Swansea City) winning goal in the final.
However, remarks he made during an interview right after winning the tournament—stating, "I thought medals or trophies weren't important. I think I only played with my eyes set on the military service exemption reward"—sparked some controversy.
Meanwhile, Westerlo completed their 5-1 rout with Yang's sealing goal, extending their winning streak to four matches.
With this victory, they recorded 4 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses (13 points) for the season, settling into 6th place in the league.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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