Antwerp beat Mechelen to win Belgian Cup

Antwerp have won the Belgian Cup for the fourth time, beating KV Mechelen 2-0 in the final at Heysel on Sunday.

A retaken penalty by Vincent Janssen put the favourites 1-0 up after 35 minutes, before a late goal by substitute Michel-Ange Balikwisha secured victory for Antwerp, who were playing in their fifth final. The win gives them a place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

Antwerp can now focus on the play-offs, having finished the regular Pro League season in third. They travel to Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday in the first round of the play-offs as they seek their first league title since 1957. Club Brugge were the last team to achieve the league and cup double in 1996.

Mechelen’s season is now over: their 13th-place league finish means they are not involved in the play-offs.

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