Rabat – Moroccan coach Issame Charaï has won the Belgian Pro League Coach of the Month award for September after guiding KVC Westerlo through an impressive run of results.
The former Morocco U-23 national team coach received the recognition following a strong turnaround that helped Westerlo recover from a difficult start to the season and climb to sixth place in the Belgian league standings.
Under Charaï’s leadership, Westerlo collected 13 points from a possible 15 in their last five league matches, showing significant improvement in both attacking performance and overall results.
The Belgian club recorded several impressive victories during this period, including a 4-0 win over KV Mechelen and a 4-2 victory against Standard Liège.
Westerlo continued their positive run with a 2-0 away victory over Sint-Truiden before defeating Royal Antwerp 5-1 on October 11.
These results helped the club regain confidence and move into sixth place in the league standings after struggling during the opening weeks of the campaign.
According to Belgian newspaper HLN, Charaï received the Coach of the Month award in a special moment at the club’s facilities, where his players presented him with the trophy.
The Moroccan coach expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the team’s recent success, highlighting the commitment and hard work of his coaching staff and players.
He also credited the collective effort behind Westerlo’s improvement, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in achieving positive results.
From Morocco’s U-23 success to Belgian football
Before taking charge of Westerlo, Charaï gained international recognition during his time with Morocco’s U-23 national team.
He guided the young Atlas Lions to the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil, securing Morocco’s qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
That achievement marked an important moment in Moroccan football, with the national team defeating Egypt 2-1 after extra time in the final.
Charaï’s experience with Morocco’s young talents helped strengthen his reputation as a coach capable of developing players and building competitive teams.
His latest achievement in Belgium adds another star to his coaching career and demonstrates the growing presence of Moroccan coaches in European football.
