Young Morocco midfielder Yassine El Khelifi making waves at Sporting Charleroi

Moroccan midfielder Yassine El Khelifi is quickly emerging as one of Sporting Charleroi’s standout discoveries of the season, despite being only 21 years old.

The young midfielder has made significant strides since joining the Belgian club, gradually establishing himself as an important figure in coach Mario Coenen’s system after initially having to wait for his opportunity.

El Khelifi joined Sporting Charleroi in the summer of 2025 from French club Lille, where he had spent close to two years developing with the reserve side.

His journey to Belgian football, however, began much earlier in Marrakech, where he first developed his passion and technical ability by playing football on the streets with friends.

“I have wonderful memories of that time. That is how I managed to hone my technical skills in tight spaces,” El Khelifi recalled.

A friend who was already playing for a club encouraged him to take football more seriously, and the youngster subsequently featured in tournaments across Morocco, attracting the attention of scouts.

At just 12 years old, El Khelifi successfully completed trials for the Mohammed VI Football Academy and left his hometown of Marrakech for Rabat to continue his development.

The transition was not easy for the youngster, who had to adjust to life away from his family at a relatively young age.

“It was difficult at first; the nights felt long being away from my family,” he said.

However, El Khelifi found support among his fellow academy players, many of whom shared similar ambitions of becoming professional footballers.

Among those he shared the academy experience with were Yasser Zabiri, who now plays for Racing Santander, and Stade Rennais defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal.

“It was a dream to receive my training at the Mohammed VI Football Academy,” El Khelifi said.

He spent two seasons in the academy’s Espoir category, the highest level of development within the institution, before taking another important step in his career.

At the age of 16, El Khelifi became the youngest Moroccan player to receive a call-up to the national U-20 team, highlighting the potential he had already demonstrated at youth level.

His progression continued over the following years, eventually leading him to represent Morocco at the U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he was part of the squad that won the tournament.

At 17, El Khelifi left the Mohammed VI Football Academy and joined Union Touarga, taking his first steps into professional football.

His spell with the Moroccan club proved crucial to his development, giving him valuable experience in senior football and helping prepare him for the next stage of his career in Europe.

Lille then provided that opportunity.

The French club had monitored El Khelifi for an extended period before bringing him to their Domaine de Luchin training centre. He spent almost two years regularly featuring for the reserve team, gaining experience and adapting to the demands of European football.

Sporting Charleroi eventually offered him another opportunity in the summer of 2025.

The Belgian club initially gave the young midfielder time to settle into his new surroundings, with his first months largely spent away from the spotlight.

However, El Khelifi gradually began to show what he could offer.

One of his early highlights came last January when he scored the winning goal for Charleroi in a Belgian Cup match against RFC Liège despite his limited playing time.

A few weeks later, he was handed another opportunity during the Wallonia Derby at the Mambourg Stadium.

With Yacine Titraoui and Etienne Camara unavailable, El Khelifi stepped into the spotlight and took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate his qualities.

His performances have since earned him greater trust within the team.

Since the beginning of the current season, El Khelifi has established himself as a key figure in Charleroi’s midfield, earning a regular starting role and becoming one of the team’s driving forces.

His rise has also strengthened his profile as one of the young Moroccan talents making an impression in Belgian football.

For El Khelifi, however, his ambition extends beyond simply establishing himself at Charleroi.

The midfielder has a clear role model in Mbark Boussoufa, the former Moroccan international who enjoyed a distinguished career in Belgium and became one of the country’s most recognisable Moroccan players.

El Khelifi has openly acknowledged his admiration for Boussoufa and hopes to follow a similar path.

“I want to shine in Belgium, just like Mbark Boussoufa; he was my role model when I was young,” he said.