Youssopouh Badji scored his third goal in four games for Charleroi as the Zebras left it late to beat Westerlo 3-2 away from home. The 21-year-old Senegalese striker is on loan from Club Brugge and has been at the club since the winter of 2022. This was the second time this season that Badji has scored against Westerlo, with his first goal of the campaign coming against the side in the reverse fixture back in September. That time the score line was also 3-2, yet it was in favour of Westerlo on that day.
The Club Brugge loanee had been struggling this season, with his second goal for the club not coming until January. Ironically, this came against his parent club as Charleroi drew 2-2 at the Jan Breydel. However, the striker has certainly been growing in confidence under Felice Mazzu. He scored the winner against Kortrijk on the 4th of March, before grabbing another winning goal on the 19th against Antwerp. His past three goals have therefore all been decisive, something that will delight the coaching staff and the player. Badji will return to Club Brugge in the summer, where he remains under contract until 2024. It will be interesting to see if this late run of form will be enough to give him another chance of fighting for a starting spot with the defending champions.
The win for Charleroi moved them into the top eight and means they are very much in the fight to reach the play-offs.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
