Morocco: El Khannouss, a star on the rise
El Khannouss won the "Belgian Lion" on Monday 4 December, awarded to the best player of Maghreb origin in the Jupiler Pro League.
Sport News Africa · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Audio version in preparation · read aloud by your browser meanwhile
Quietly, Bilal El Khannouss is making a name for himself in the football world. Already a Morocco international at 19, El Khannouss even got to play at a World Cup at that age. That was in 2022 in Qatar, where Morocco went out in the semi-finals. The Genk prospect, who plays in the Jupiler League, is stepping up a level and gradually becoming the rising star of Moroccan football. To cement that rise, El Khannouss has been voted the "Belgian Lion", which rewards the best Maghreb player in the Jupiler Pro League. He succeeds Tarik Tissoudali (Gent), who held the title for the past two years (2021 and 2022).
An excellent midfielder with undeniable talent, Bilal El Khannouss has the vision that lights up Genk's play. This season he has made 29 appearances in European football, across all competitions, with 3 goals and 2 assists among other contributions. Nominated for the Golden Boy trophy last June, the Morocco international had also won the Prize for Best Newcomer in the Jupiler Pro League and the Young Player Prize of the year in Belgium last January, at the 69th Golden Shoe Gala in Antwerp, just after the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Wanted by Liverpool, Tottenham...
El Khannouss is unlikely to stay long at Genk. If he can repeat the same performances and also deliver a superb 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, the Atlas Lion should move on from Belgium. According to Corriere dello Sport, Liverpool and Tottenham are keeping tabs on El Khannouss. "We really regard El Khannouss as a top talent, a top international talent. As far as we're concerned, he could be able to break the Belgian transfer record", Genk president Croonen had said.
Jim CEESAY