Anan Khalaili converted his spot kick as Union Saint-Gilloise beat Club Brugge 5-4 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw, to win the Belgian Super Cup at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges on Friday night, ONE reports.
Brugge had led since the 49th minute, when Nicolò Tresoldi struck four minutes into the second half, before Union's Kevin Mac Allister equalised with 13 minutes left to force the shootout.
Khalaili had been introduced as a 61st-minute substitute while his side trailed, and stayed on the pitch long enough to take - and score - Union's second penalty in the shootout that followed.
Promise David, Khalaili, Andi Zeneli, Marco Zorgane and Relebohile Mofokeng were all on target from the spot for Union; Brugge's Cheveyo Tsawa was the only player of the ten takers to miss, his effort saved, leaving Mofokeng to net the winning kick and hand Union the trophy.
It was sweet revenge for Union, who had lost last year's Super Cup meeting with the same opponents 2-1 at their own Joseph Marien Stadium.
Khalaili, 21, born in Haifa to an Arab-Israeli family, joined Union from Israeli football in 2024 for a reported €6.5 million and was a key figure as the club won its first Belgian league title in 90 years last season.
His performances this year had earned him a move to Inter Milan in a deal reportedly worth up to €30 million - which would have made him the most expensive player in Israeli football history - but Ynet reported the transfer collapsed this summer after Khalaili failed the mandatory cardiac screening required by Italian football authorities.
With the Inter deal dead, English reports say Nottingham Forest have moved to take advantage, opening talks for the winger; Union are said to have rejected Forest's opening bid of around €20 million as too low, with the Belgian champions holding out for a fee closer to what Inter had agreed.
For now, Khalaili remains a Union Saint-Gilloise player, and Friday's shootout heroics gave him and the club's Israeli-linked fanbase a first trophy of the new season - possibly his last in Union colours before a Premier League move materialises.
