WESTERLO, Belgium (Interstat) — Westerlo defeated Sporting Charleroi 2-1 in a Belgian First Division A match on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Het Kuipje, avenging a loss from earlier in the season with a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

The victory, which aligned exactly with the Interstat game simulator’s projection, pulled Westerlo level with Charleroi in the league table. Both clubs now have 9 wins, 10 losses and 2 draws for Westerlo and 9 wins, 10 losses and 6 draws for Charleroi in domestic league play this season.

The match’s decisive moment came deep into added time. With the score tied 1-1 in the second minute of stoppage time, Westerlo forward Isa Sakamoto found the net for the game-winning goal, securing the three points for the home side.

The game had opened with an early strike from the visitors. Sporting Charleroi’s Kévin Van Den Kerkhof, entering the match as a substitute, scored in the 29th minute to give his team the lead. That advantage held until Sakamoto’s late heroics, which included an earlier goal to level the match. Sakamoto’s two-goal performance was complemented by a pair of assists from teammate Emin Bayram.

The contest was a physical affair, with eight yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Four players received bookings: Mardochée Nzita and Doğucan Haspolat of Sporting Charleroi, and Aiham Ousou and Emin Bayram of Westerlo. All four were shown yellow cards in the second half, with Nzita and Haspolat booked in the 54th and 60th minutes, respectively, and Ousou and Bayram cautioned in the 76th and final moments of stoppage time.

The result continued contrasting recent trajectories for the two sides. Sporting Charleroi has now lost three consecutive First Division A matches, following recent defeats to Cercle Brugge and Gent. Westerlo, meanwhile, bounced back from a 4-0 loss to Sint-Truiden in its previous league outing with this crucial victory. The win also reversed the result from the teams’ last meeting, a 2-0 Charleroi victory on Nov. 8, 2025.

According to pre-match analytics from Interstat, Westerlo entered as a significant favorite with a 74.60 percent probability to win.

Both teams now look ahead to their next league fixtures on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Westerlo will travel to face Sporting Oud-Heverlee, while Sporting Charleroi visits Genk.