Cambuur defeated NEC Nijmegen 3-0 in the sixth round of the Eredivisie on Saturday, 12 September 2026 at 19:00 UTC. Ilyes Hamache opened the scoring in the 21st minute following an assist from Billy van Duijl and doubled the lead in the 54th minute. Iwan Henstra sealed the victory with a goal in the 90+2nd minute, assisted by Jamal Amofa.
NEC Nijmegen started with Gonzalo Crettaz, Tobias Storm, Philippe Sandler, Almugera Kabar, Adam Tahaui, Denis Nejašmić, Dennis Geiger, Clement Bischoff, Thierry Chery, Noah Lebreton and Kjell Sierhuis in the starting XI. Cambuur began with Tim Jansen, Dylan Bouah, Ismail Baouf, Billy van Duijl, Matteo Costarelli, Maarten Maertens, Noah Souren, Fabian Kvam, Reda El Arguioui, Ilyes Hamache and Nicolas Binder.
NEC Nijmegen made five substitutions: Gonzalo Crettaz was replaced by Nikolas Polster in the 45th minute, Adam Tahaui and Dennis Geiger were substituted by Emre Mor and Jamiro Monteiro in the 58th minute, Philippe Sandler made way for Bryan Linssen also in the 58th minute, and Emre Mor was replaced by Kevin Kers in the 73rd minute. Cambuur made four changes: Mathieu Maertens was replaced by Jamal Amofa in the 64th minute, Nicolas Binder was substituted by Sami Bouhoudane in the 71st minute, Fabian Kvam was replaced by Iwan Henstra in the 72nd minute, and Ilyes Hamache and Devid Eugene Bouah were replaced by Skye Vink and Wiebe Kooistra in the 84th minute.
Cambuur received two yellow cards: Devid Eugene Bouah in the 32nd minute for persistent fouling and Iwan Henstra in the 90+5th minute for dissent. NEC Nijmegen saw four players cautioned: Tobias Storm in the 35th minute, Philippe Sandler in the 37th minute, Noah Lebreton in the 87th minute and Almugera Kabar in the 90+5th minute, all for foul or argument.
Statistically, Cambuur had 37% possession compared to NEC Nijmegen’s 63%, but were more clinical with 16 shots, 7 on target, versus NEC Nijmegen’s 10 shots and 1 on target. Cambuur earned 4 corners, NEC Nijmegen 5. Both teams committed numerous fouls: Cambuur 16, NEC Nijmegen 18. Cambuur were caught offside twice, NEC Nijmegen not once. The Cambuur goalkeeper made 1 save, his counterpart made 4.
This loss highlights how vulnerable NEC Nijmegen’s defence can be against quick transitions, despite their dominance in possession. The team now faces pressure to respond in upcoming fixtures, beginning with an away trip to Excelsior, against whom they recently drew 2-2.
The official confirmation of the result and statistics comes from the league data. For the upcoming squad and injury updates, supporters can refer to the squad and injuries pages, while the standings display the current league position.
NEC Nijmegen must regroup for the next match, with the focus on improving defensive transitions and better utilising possession phases that too often break down without creating danger.
