Rangers have already had success scouting in Morocco this season following the arrival of Hamza Igamane.
The Moroccan striker, 22, has been on electric form for Rangers ever since breaking through into the first team following a £1.7m summer move from FAR Rabat.
It’s little wonder then that Rangers are being linked with a number of players from the region as they look to North Africa in search of hidden gems.
But whilst Nils Koppen and co go sifting through the markets of Casablanca and Tangier looking for footballing diamonds, Rangers look set to announce a new Moroccan recruit.
Rangers to appoint Issame Charai
According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Rangers are set to appoint Moroccan-Belgian coach Issame Charai to the club’s backroom staff.
Tavolieri claims the appointment is already a ‘done deal’ with the Moroccan coach set to agree a three-and-a-half year contract at Ibrox.
It’s claimed Charai will become the ‘first assistant of Clement’ and join the Belgian’s growing backroom staff in Glasgow.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement’s team includes Alex Rae, Stephan Van Der Heyden and Andreis Ulderink, who joined the club in the summer.
The Rangers manager was asked about the potential arrival of Charai ahead of the Europa League clash with USG and said: “I can only confirm things when things are signed. So if that’s the case, I will tell you guys.”
Who is ‘new Rangers coach’ Issame Charai?
Issame Charai, 42, was born in Belgium but is of Moroccan heritage and is currently the assistant manager of Liam Rosenior at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.
Having spent all of his playing days in Belgium, Charai turned out for the likes of Mechelen and Sint-Truidense before moving into coaching back in 2012.
Having spent time working in Saudi Arabia, Charai has also worked as an assistant at several Belgian clubs and worked as Morocco U23 manager for two years.
However, that does not include at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, where Morocco won the Bronze medal.
Charai did however guide the Morocco U23s to the U23 African Cup of Nations title in the summer of 2023.
Rangers have previously shut down reports linking the club to a link-up with FAR Rabat but the region has produced a number of quality players in recent seasons.
The Gers have also been linked to the likes of Oussama Targhalline, who worked under Charai with the Moroccan U23s.
