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Genk's Oh Hyeon-gyu opens scoring account in first match of Belgian season

Published: 28 Jul. 2025, 14:18 Updated: 28 Jul. 2025, 20:19

JIM BULLEY
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KRC Genk Oh Hyeon-gyu celebrates scoring during a Belgian Pro League match against Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, on July 27. [AFP/YONHAP]

KRC Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu scored his first goal of the 2025-26 Belgian Pro League season in a 2-1 loss against Club Brugge on Sunday, opening his account in the first match of the campaign.

Oh, 24, started as a No. 9 at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, and opened the scoring in the ninth minute, cutting in from the left edge and firing a shot into the back of the net.

His first goal made him the first Korean player in Europe to score in the 2025-26 season, which has already kicked off in Belgium but is yet to start in England, Germany and France.

Genk, however, failed to keep their lead, conceding an equalizer to Joel Ordonez in the 62nd minute and goal No. 2 to Brandon Mechele in the 81st minute for a 2-1 loss.

Oh watched his team's loss from the bench after coming off in the 70th minute.

This season marks Oh's second season at Genk, which he joined from Celtic in the summer of 2024.

He mostly played as a backup forward last season, but still registered 13 goals and three assists across 37 appearances for Genk.

KRC Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu, left, celebrates scoring during a Belgian Pro League match against Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, on July 27. [AFP/YONHAP]

Regular No. 9 pick Tolu Arokodare, meanwhile, featured 20 minutes in Sunday's fixture, as transfer rumors around him grow. Recent reports suggest that he could join AC Milan, Atalanta or Fulham.

Arokodare's departure could leave more room for Oh to establish himself as a regular forward pick this season, which would allow him to secure more playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

With four goals in eight matches of the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, Oh also showcased his potential to solidify his place in the starting XI of the Korean national team.

Oh joined Genk last summer after an up-and-down 18-month spell with Celtic. Joining the Scottish club halfway through the 2022-23 campaign, Oh scored seven goals in 21 appearances and became then-manager Ange Postecoglou’s regular pick as a substitute for star striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

But his first full season at Parkhead looked very different. New manager Brendan Rodgers was less impressed by the 23-year-old Korean, dropping him out of the squad after the Asian Cup. He still finished the 2023-24 campaign with five goals in 20 league appearances, but managed just 29 minutes of league playing time in the second half of the season.

Oh joined Genk — technically Koninklijke Racing Club Genk — last July and finished his first campaign in Belgium with 12 goals and three assists across all competitions. He was the team's second-highest scorer for the season despite spending a lot of the campaign playing off the bench.

Although not one of Europe’s powerhouse clubs, Genk is well known for having an exceptionally good youth academy — Leandro Trossard and Kevin De Bruyne are among its alumni — and development program. Oh, who is still only 24, indicated last year that this was a big part of the attraction for him.

Genk play their first home game of the season against Royal Antwerp on Aug. 3.

BY PARK RIN AND JIM BULLEY [[email protected]]