Moroccan defender Zakaria El Ouahdi of KRC Genk won on Monday the 35th Ebony Shoe, awarded to the best African or footballer of African origin playing in Belgium.
A right-back, El Ouahdi established himself this season as one of his team’s most decisive players, with 12 goals and 5 assists in 41 matches across all competitions.
On the European stage, the Moroccan international also stood out with 4 goals and 1 assist in 9 Europa League matches.
Trained at Beerschot and Zulte Waregem, he made his breakthrough at RWDM, helping the Brussels club return to the Pro League before joining KRC Genk in the summer of 2023.
At 24, he becomes the third Moroccan player to win the Ebony Shoe, after Mbark Boussoufa, a three-time winner in 2006, 2009, and 2010, and Tarik Tissoudali in 2022.
El Ouahdi was also named Belgian Lion 2025, an award given to the best player of Maghreb origin in Belgium’s top division.
Recently called up to the Moroccan senior national team, he earned his first cap in a friendly game against Paraguay at the end of March. Having previously played for Morocco’s youth teams, El Ouahdi won the U23 Africa Cup of Nations under the guidance of Issame Charaï.
- Source: MAP
