Michel-Ange Balikwisha missed during the penalty shootout as Gent suffered a shock Belgian Cup exit against Union Rochefortoise on Sunday.

The Celtic loanee fired his shot off target after his side surrendered a 3-1 lead, with the match finishing 3-3 before being settled from the spot.

It was a disappointing afternoon for Balikwisha, coming just over a week after he scored his first Gent goal against former Rangers manager Michael Beale’s Zulte Waregem.

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That stoppage-time finish sealed a 2-0 league victory and offered encouragement after his difficult spell in Glasgow.

Sunday brought a setback for both the winger and his loan club.

According to Gent’s official match report, the visitors recovered from conceding the opener to take control through two goals from Seck and an own goal.

However, Rochefortoise fought back with a free-kick and a penalty to force extra time.

Gent could not find a winner, and their problems continued in the shootout.

Sonko struck the post before Balikwisha sent his effort over, while the hosts converted all their penalties to advance to the last 16.

The result ended Gent’s cup campaign at the first hurdle and interrupted what had been an encouraging period for Balikwisha.

The winger returned to Belgium during the summer after struggling to establish himself at Celtic.

His season-long loan includes an option for Gent to make the move permanent, giving him an opportunity to rebuild his career while his longer-term future remains unresolved.

One missed penalty will not define that loan spell, but losing after holding a two-goal advantage made this a particularly frustrating weekend.

Balikwisha will now be looking to put the disappointment behind him and look to show that he’s a £20m player destined for the top leagues…