Put back in the starting eleven to face Lyra-Lierse, Léandre Kuavita gained points and showed that he still deserved his place. Ivan Leko will have to make crucial choices before hosting Sint-Truiden on Saturday.
This Belgian Cup match against Lyra-Lierse allowed Léandre Kuavita to regain his place in Ivan Leko’s eleven. The young midfielder also benefited from the replacement of Aiden O’Neill in central defense, carried out to compensate for the various injuries in this compartment of the game.
I was given a good opportunity to dig my hole, and I’m still trying to dig.”
“I tell myself that every minute on the pitch, I have to give 100%. It’s only more, five, ten or ninety minutes. I was given a good opportunity this year, I did my hole and I try to dig further I feel better when I can project myself, I like to make offensive and defensive runs and to have space in front of me” replied Kuavita to our microphone, Wednesday, after the success against the. Lyra-Lierse.
The player who has been at the Standard academy since 2019 knew that this was a golden opportunity to show his coach that he still deserved a place, having lost his when almost all of the transfers summer have made their mark. And with a goal, an assist and a full performance on the clock, the operation was a success.
“Léandre is a top player, totally underestimated. At the start of the season, many did not know his name, he started very well, but he always received criticism. However, the boy is very good. Today ( Wednesday), he gives an assist, he scores, he has another big opportunity, he participates in the third goal, but there will always be criticism” Ivan Leko reacted at a press conference about him.
Ivan Leko needs the profile of Léandre Kuavita
Kuavita is not the most glamorous player in the core. Very hardworking, the former U19 international however brings a touch of necessary combativeness and races between the lines that are not produced, for the moment, by his direct competitors for a starting place. Still sometimes imprecise, the 20-year-old seems to have a significant advantage over an Isaac Price who has been out of his depth for several weeks.
“I like this young boy from the Standard training. Even if he makes mistakes, we don’t care. He made some again this evening (Wednesday), but you see his game. He really has the profile and the mentality of Standard is the future of the club in this position and if he manages to add goals and assists…”, punctuated Leko about him.
The clear thing is that Kuavita scored points against Lyra-Lierse. With the test of Aiden O’Neill in central defense which was not the most conclusive, the disappointing performances of Isaac Price and Marko Bulat which follow one another and the good debut of Sotiris Alexandropoulos, the Croatian coach will have to pose crucial choices before hosting Sint-Truiden on Saturday (4:00 p.m.).
