Raków Częstochowa finished the Dutch friendly with a 3‑4 loss to Belgium's SV Zulte Waregem, and the headline was Adam Basse's hat‑trick. The match took place on July 16 during pre‑season preparations, with the Belgians taking the lead twice before the Poles scored three goals.
How did the match unfold?
The first half lasted 30 minutes. Belgium opened the scoring in the 7th minute and doubled the lead ten minutes later. Raków responded in the 21st minute when Basse equalised 1‑2, and four minutes after that he restored the draw. After the break Zulte Waregem took the lead again in the 40th minute and added another in the 43rd. Basse kept pressing – in the 60th minute he made it 3‑4, but that was the only goal after the interval.
Who started the lineup?
Raków lined up: Tarik Karić; Nikodem Całko (substituted after 50' by Antoni Kociniewski), Dieudonne Gaucho Debohi, Jerzy Napieraj, Jakub Jendryka, Bogdan Mircetić, Abraham Ojo, Erick Otieno, Adam Basse, Oliwier Kwiatkowski, Lamine Diaby‑Fadiga (replaced in the 35' by Filip Żądło). Coach Dawid Kroczek stressed that despite the result the side showed solid structure and attacking creativity.
What’s next in the preparations?
After the game Raków scheduled another control match against Olympiakos Pireus on Wednesday at 18:00. The next test will be on Saturday against PSV Eindhoven, followed by a return to Poland the following day. The final pre‑season friendly is set for July 16 against GKS Katowice.
Why does this matter for the club?
Even with the defeat, Basse’s hat‑trick lifted morale ahead of the Ekstraklasa start. The club currently sits 4th in the league with 55 points, and the latest result – a 3‑0 win over Arka Gdynia on May 23, 2026 – shows the attack is in good shape. Raków has scored 51 and conceded 40 goals this season (+11 goal difference) and trails league leaders Lech Poznań by five points. The last five matches record four wins and one loss, indicating growing confidence before the new campaign.
