Sint-Truiden may have beaten Mechelen on Friday, but bad news came to tarnish the picture. So, Shogo Taniguchi’s season appears to be over.
Sint-Truiden bounced back as best as possible after the cruel defeat at Sclessin. The Canaries beat one of the teams in good form at the moment, KV Mechelen (2-1), at the opening of the 14th day of the Jupiler Pro League. A victory which takes STVV away from the red zone, and even brings them closer to the top 6.
But bad news came to tarnish this beautiful evening. Shogo Taniguchi (33 years old), pillar of the Canaries this season (he had played every minute since the 3rd day of the championship), had to leave in the 14th minute of play on Friday after a duel with Lion Lauberbach.
We immediately feared the worst side of Trudonnaire, and Belang van Limburg confirms that this is what seems to be taking shape. According to the Limburg daily, Taniguchi is suffering from a torn Achilles tendon, and will therefore have to undergo surgery.
The revalidation of the Japanese central defender should keep him away from the field for at least 6 months, which means that we should not see him again this season. A huge blow for the club but also for the player who, at 33, could have difficulty recovering.
Shogo Taniguchi is, discreetly, one of the good picks of this season so far: the Japanese arrived free of charge from Al-Rayyan (Qatar) and showed that he was well up to the level of our championship. He is also a confirmed Japanese international (32 caps) and was a starter in the last 4 matches for the Samuraïs Bleus.
