Nicholson scores brace to get off mark in Belgium

by

August 31, 2020

Photo

FILE Shamar Nicholson (foreground) dribbles ahead of Honduran player Emilio Izaguirre in a Concacaf Gold Cup match held at the National Stadium last year.

Jamaican striker Shamar Nicholson netted a brace yesterday to give Belgian League leaders, Sporting Charleroi, a 2-0 win at home over Royal Antwerp in the Belgium Jupiler (Premier) League.

The 23-year-old, who was the club's second top scorer from last season with nine goals in 25 appearances, had failed to find the mark in the club's opening three matches, which they also won, this season.

However, yesterday the towering, former Boys' Town striker took just 17 minutes to fire Charleroi into the lead against the 13th-place Antwerp.

After taking the lead, the home team dominated all aspects of the game and had a number of other great chances. But it wasn't until the first minute of added time when Nicholson popped up to grab his and the team's second of the evening.

Fourth win

The result gave Sporting Charleroi their fourth win from as many matches this season, and the win puts the Karim Belhocine-coached team atop the Jupiler League with maximum 12 points, two clear of second-place Standard Liege, five ahead of third-place Kartrijk and twice the amount of points as the teams from third to sixth (Club Bruges, Anderlecht, Zulte Waregem and Cercle Bruges).

Charleroi just missed out on a place in the EUFA Champions League last term, after the season was cancelled with three games remaining in the campaign.

They ended the season on 54 points, one less than second-place KAA Gent. Teams were placed in European competitions based on their position in the league at the time of the cancellation. Nevertheless, Charleroi hope to fulfil their ambition of qualifying in the Champions League for the first time in their history this season.

Nicholson left Boys' Town in 2017 for FC Domzale in Slovania, where he spent two seasons. He moved to Charleroi last year and had a breakthrough campaign in his first season where he scored nine goals in all competitions.

The striker is also expected to play a very important part of Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore's 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.