Moroccan Soccer Star Faces Racist Abuse on Social Media After Belgian League Match

Another racist act in sport. The latest victim is Zakaria El Ouahdi. The Moroccan right-back suffered racist insults on social media after a Jupiler Pro League match between KRC Genk and Anderlecht. "Racist and hateful speeches are absolutely unacceptable and must be firmly condemned," reacted general manager Erik Gerits on the club’s website. On Sunday, he announced that he intends to file a complaint. "Genk will file a complaint and hopes that the perpetrators will be quickly arrested. We will continue to draw attention to these regrettable incidents as long as they occur," added the Limburg club.

Zakaria El Ouadi was born on December 31, 2001 in Hoboken, Belgium to Moroccan parents. He holds dual Moroccan and Belgian nationality. He arrived from RWDM in September. The 22-year-old player joins the Genk lineup after the departure of Daniel Munoz for Crystal Palace in January. He contributes to the exploits of his club. Genk has won three of its first four matches in the Champions Playoffs. In 2023, he joined the Moroccan Olympic team.