Zakaria El Ouahdi following in the footsteps of Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz | OneFootball

There is something about right-backs at Genk in recent years. Over four seasons, former Atletico Nacional defender Daniel Munoz went from strength to strength, staking a claim to being the best in his position in Belgium by the time he left for Crystal Palace. In his final full season with Genk, Munoz scored an impressive eight goals and grabbed five assists. He was set to score even more the following season, having scored seven goals in 29 games before leaving to join Crystal Palace. Munoz showed that this was no fluke, as he grabbed six goals and seven assists during 46 appearances for Crystal Palace in their historic 2024/2025 campaign.

The key to success in Belgian football is succession planning. Anyone that performs well will likely be snapped up, so having their replacement lined up is always key. Genk have been good at this, and in Zakaria El Ouahdi they found Munoz able replacement. Last night, the 24-year-old from Morocco scored the only goal of the game as Genk grabbed a deserved 1-0 lead over Freiburg in the Europa League. This was the former RWDM defenders ninth goal of the season in 33 games, the best of his career so far. Last year he grabbed eight in 40. Like Munoz, El Ouahdi could certainly be of interest to clubs like Crystal Palace in the Premier League this summer. He is a modern attacking full-back and, like Munoz, has established himself as one of the best attacking right-backs in the Belgian Pro League.

El Ouahdi will likely get double figures for goals this season, a remarkable achievement for a defender. Genk will likely be succession planning again in the next few weeks, as El Ouahdi is unlikely to hang around in Belgium for much longer.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson