Zakaria El Ouahdi appeared to give an emotional farewell to K.R.C. Genk on Friday night following a 4-0 victory over SK Beveren. The 24-year-old Moroccan right-back was in tears and comforted by teammates, pointing to an imminent transfer to German club HSV Hamburg.
The scenes came after a crucial league win that keeps Genk fourth in the Jupiler Pro League. The Limburg side has 7 points from 4 games, with a +4 goal difference having scored 12 and conceded 8. They sit just two points behind leaders Club Brugge KV.
What happened after the match?
Immediately after the final whistle of the 4-0 win over Beveren, Zakaria El Ouahdi addressed the supporters in the spionkop at length. The defender could not contain his emotions and broke down in tears. Teammate Matte Smets, the rest of the squad, and the technical staff tried to console him. Coach Jess Thorup also noted the emotion. "I also saw that he was emotional," the Danish manager told VoetbalPrimeur. "Whether it was his last match? Maybe, who knows."
Where is El Ouahdi going?
Throughout the summer, Zakaria El Ouahdi has been a prominent target for foreign clubs, with PSV among the interested parties. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the player has now reached a personal agreement with HSV in Hamburg. An official agreement between the clubs is still pending, and El Ouahdi still has two years left on his Genk contract. Coach Thorup did not want to comment on the transfer but did not rule out a departure. "If he goes, it will be for something bigger," he added. Thorup stressed he never considered leaving the player out of his team. "Zaka is the type who always wants to fight. There was no doubt whatsoever."
How is Genk positioned in the league?
The win against Beveren is part of a mixed start to the season for Genk, with recent form reading WDWL. The club now prepares for a significant away fixture against RSC Anderlecht on September 6th. Anderlecht currently sits tenth. Fans can view the full schedule on our fixtures page. The current standings show a tight title race that Genk will want to be part of.
What does this mean for the Genk squad?
K.R.C. Genk has already prepared for a potential El Ouahdi departure with the signing of new right-back Kevin Amaro. An official transfer is not yet confirmed, but the emotional post-match scenes seem to make an exit inevitable. Losing a key player at this stage of the season requires adjustments. The makeup of the defense can be followed via our squad overview. The coming weeks, including the match against Anderlecht, will show how Thorup's team handles this change as they try to close the gap on Club Brugge.
