Zakaria El Ouahdi

Zakaria El Ouahdi (Moroccan Arabic: زكرياء الواحدي;^[1] born 31 December 2001), is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or a right-back for Belgian Pro League club Genk. Born in Belgium, he plays for the Morocco national team.

Zakaria El Ouahdi

El Ouahdi in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth	(2001-12-31) 31 December 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Hoboken, Belgium
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Right winger, right-back
Team information
Current team	Genk
Number	77
Youth career
2011–2013	Beerschot VAC
2013–2018	Zulte Waregem
2018–2019	Manchester IFA
2019–2020	K. Berchem Sport
2020–2021	K. Rupel Boom
2021	RWD Molenbeek
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–2023	RWD Molenbeek	51	(8)
2023–	Genk	60	(6)
International career‡
2023–	Morocco U23	20	(3)
2025–	Morocco	1	(0)
Medal record Representing  Morocco U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2023 Morocco Olympic Games 2024 Paris Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 July 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2025

Early life

El Ouahdi was born in Hoboken in the Antwerp Province in a family of eight children. His parents are of Moroccan descent.^[2]

Club career

In June 2021, El Ouadhi joined the under-21 side of RWD Molenbeek.^[3] After good performances, El Ouadhi was regularly invited to train with the first team, and was awarded his first professional contract on 9 September 2021.^[4]

On 14 August 2021, he made his professional debut in Challenger Pro League in RWD Molenbeek's 3–1 victory against Royal Excel Mouscron.^{[citation needed]} On 3 October, he scored his first goal in professional, awarding a 2–1 win for his club against Deinze.^{[citation needed]}

On 12 March 2023, El Ouadhi scored his first career hattrick against Club NXT, offering an important 3–2 win for RWD Molenbeek for their fight for promotion.^[5][6] He terminated the 2022–23 season by winning the league with RWD Molenbeek and gained a promotion to the Jupiler Pro League.^[7][8] El Ouadhi named was as Molenbeek's player of the season and figured in the league's best XI of the season.^[9]

On 5 September 2023, El Ouahdi signed for Genk on an initial three-year deal with the option for a further twelve months.^[10]

International career

Holding both Belgian and Moroccan citizenship, El Ouadhi chose to represent Morocco in international level. On 9 June 2023, he was called up by coach Issame Charaï in Morocco U-23 squad for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.^[11] El Ouadhi appeared in four out of five matches during the tournament, and scored one goal against Mali U-23 in the semi-final match.^[12] Morocco U-23 won the tournament as El Ouadhi figured in the competition's team of the tournament as the best right-back.^[13][14]

El Ouadhi earned his first senior call-up for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho in September 2024, but remained on the bench for both games.^[15][16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 27 July 2025^[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Rupel Boom	2020–21	Belgian National Division 1	1	0	1	0	—		—		2	0
RWD Molenbeek	2021–22	Challenger Pro League	21	1	1	0	—		2[a]	0	24	1
	2022–23		25	7	2	0	—		—		27	7
	2023–24	Belgian Pro League	5	0	0	0	—		—		5	0
	Total		51	8	3	0	—		2	0	56	8
Genk	2023–24	Belgian Pro League	24	0	2	0	1[b]	0	—		27	0
	2024–25		35	6	3	2	—		—		38	8
	2025–26		1	0	0	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total		60	6	5	2	1	0	—		66	8
Career total			112	14	9	2	1	0	2	0	124	16

Honours

RWD Molenbeek

• Challenger Pro League: 2022–23^[8]

Morocco U23

• U-23 Africa Cup of Nations: 2023^[13]
• Summer Olympics Bronze Medal: 2024^[18]

Individual

• Challenger Pro League best XI: 2022–23^[9]
• U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the tournament: 2023^[14]

Notes

1. Appearance(s) in Promotion/relegation play-offs
2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League