Issame Charaï
Belgian football player and coach (born 1982)
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Issame Charaï (born 11 May 1982) is a Belgian football coach and former player who is the head coach of Belgian club Westerlo.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 May 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Merksem, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Westerlo (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Berchem Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Berchem Sport | 37 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Lierse | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Geel | 18 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | K.V. Mechelen | 46 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Sint-Truidense | 29 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | KVK Tienen | 25 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | ASV Geel | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Al-Faisaly (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Al-Faisaly (caretaker) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Beerschot (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Sint-Truidense (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | OH Leuven (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Morocco U23 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Rangers (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Westerlo | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Coaching career
Al-Faisaly
After his playing career ended in 2012, he immediately became an assistant coach at Al-Faisaly under newly appointed Belgian manager Marc Brys who Charaï previously had worked together with at Berchem Sport.[citation needed] The duo left Saudi Arabia at the end of 2013.
Beerschot
In July 2016, Charaï once again became Brys' assistant coach, this time at Beerschot.[1] After two seasons, they left the club.
Sint-Truidense
At the end of May 2018, Brys was announced manager of Sint-Truidense and took Charaï with him again as his assistant.[2] On 26 November 2019, Brys and his staff, including Charaï, was fired.[3]
OH Leuven
In the summer of 2020, Charaï joined OH Leuven, once again as an assistant to Marc Brys.[4]
Morocco Under-23's
On 8 July 2023, Charaï led Morocco's under-23 national team to U-23 Africa Cup of Nations success by beating Egypt in the final.[5] Due to his AFCON success the U23's qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Rangers
Charaï was an assistant manager at Scottish club Rangers under Philippe Clement, and remained at the club following Clement's departure in February 2025.[6]
On 13 June 2025, it was announced that Charaï had "mutually agreed" to leave Rangers.[7]
Westerlo
On 17 June 2025, Charaï was hired as a head coach by Belgian Pro League club Westerlo.[8]
Personal life
Born in Belgium, Charaï is of Moroccan descent and holds dual Belgian-Moroccan citizenship.[9]
Honours
Morocco U23