2023–24 K.V. Mechelen season

K.V. Mechelen
2023–24 season
Manager	Steven Defour; (until 2 November); Besnik Hasi; (from 8 November)
Stadium	AFAS Stadion
Belgian Pro League Regular season	8th
Europe Play-offs	2nd
Belgian Cup	Seventh round
Belgian Super Cup	Runners-up
Top goalscorer	League: ; Kerim Mrabti (8); All: ; Kerim Mrabti (9)
Average home league attendance	13,156
Biggest win	Mechelen 4–0 Union Saint-Gilloise
Biggest defeat	Genk 4–0 Mechelen
	← 2022–23 2024–25 →

The 2023–24 season was K.V. Mechelen's 120th season in existence and fifth consecutive in the Belgian Pro League. They also competed in the Belgian Cup.

Players

First-team squad

As of 1 February 2024^[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	BEL	Gaëtan Coucke
4	MF	BEL	Toon Raemaekers
5	DF	IDN	Sandy Walsh
6	MF	BEL	Jannes Van Hecke
7	MF	BEL	Geoffry Hairemans
8	MF	GUI	Mory Konaté
11	FW	BEL	Nikola Storm
13	FW	ALG	Islam Slimani
15	GK	BEL	Yannick Thoelen
16	MF	BEL	Rob Schoofs
17	DF	ALG	Rafik Belghali
19	FW	SWE	Kerim Mrabti
20	FW	GER	Lion Lauberbach
21	DF	BEL	Boli Bolingoli


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
22	DF	BEL	Elias Cobbaut (on loan from Parma)
23	MF	BEL	Daam Foulon
27	DF	SCO	David Bates
29	MF	BEL	Bas Van den Eynden
31	GK	BEL	Oskar Annell
34	MF	COD	Ngal'ayel Mukau
35	MF	BEL	Bilal Bafdili
36	MF	BEL	Dirk Asare
37	DF	BEL	Thibau Loeman
40	GK	BEL	Jannes Van Hof
42	FW	ZIM	Munashe Garananga
70	FW	BEL	Norman Bassette (on loan from Caen)
77	FW	GER	Patrick Pflücke

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	BEL	Dimitri Lavalée (at Sturm Graz until 30 June 2024)
—	DF	BEL	Iebe Swers (at Patro Eisden until 30 June 2024)
—	DF	BEL	Alec Van Hoorenbeeck (at Twente until 30 June 2024)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	BEL	Amin Doudah (at Helmond until 30 June 2024)
—	FW	BEL	Julien Ngoy (at Kasımpaşa until 30 June 2024)

Transfers

In

Pos.	Player	Transferred from	Fee	Date	Source
DF	Rafik Belghali	Lommel	€400,000	1 July 2023	^[3]
MF	Daam Foulon	Benevento	Free	7 July 2023	^[4]
MF	Mory Konaté	Sint-Truiden	Free	13 July 2023	^[5]
MF	Amin Doudah	Jong PSV	Free	26 July 2023	^[6]
MF	Patrick Pflücke	Servette	€500,000	21 August 2023	^[7]
FW	Norman Bassette	Caen	Loan	1 September 2023	^[8]
DF	Elias Cobbaut	Parma	Loan	5 September 2023	^[9]
DF	Munashe Garananga	Sheriff Tiraspol	€350,000	1 February 2024
FW	Islam Slimani	Curitiba	Free	1 February 2024

Out

Pos.	Player	Transferred to	Fee	Date	Source
FW	Alessio da Cruz	Feralpisalò	€500,000	1 July 2023	^[10]
MF	Samuel Oum Gouet	Yverdon-Sport	Undisclosed	26 July 2023	^[11]
MF	Amin Doudah	Helmond Sport	Loan	27 July 2023	^[12]

Pre-season and friendlies

Win Draw Loss Fixtures

1 July 2023 Friendly	Rupel Boom	0–3	Mechelen	Boom
16:00 UTC+2				Stadium: Gemeentelijk Parkstadion

8 July 2023 Friendly	Beveren	0–3	Mechelen	Beveren
16:00 UTC+2				Stadium: Waasland-Beveren Jeugdcomplex

14 July 2023 Friendly	Mechelen	3–2	Maccabi Netanya	Netherlands
15:00 UTC+2

10 January 2024 Friendly	Hertha BSC	0–3	Mechelen	San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain
15:00 CET (UTC+1)	Zeefuik 76'		Pflücke 23', 29' Asante 90+1'	Stadium: Pinatar Arena Football Center

Competitions

Overall record

Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Record
Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Belgian Pro League Regular season	30 July 2023	17 March 2024	Matchday 1	8th	30	13	6	11	39	34	+5	043.33
Europe Play-offs	29 March 2024	25 May 2024	Matchday 1	2nd	10	5	1	4	20	18	+2	050.00
Belgian Cup	31 October 2023		Seventh round	Seventh round	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00
Belgian Super Cup	23 July 2023		Final	Runners-up	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00
Total					42	18	9	15	61	54	+7	042.86

Source: Soccerway

Belgian Pro League

Regular season

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
6	Genk	30	12	11	7	51	31	+20	47	Qualification for the champions' play-offs
7	Gent	30	12	11	7	53	38	+15	47	Qualification for the Europe play-offs
8	Mechelen	30	13	6	11	39	34	+5	45
9	Sint-Truiden	30	10	10	10	35	46	−11	40
10	Standard Liège	30	8	10	12	33	41	−8	34

Source: Jupiler Pro League (in Dutch), Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away matches won; 6) Away goal difference; 7) Away goals scored; 8) Play-off.^[13]

Results summary


Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
30	13	6	11	39	34	+5	45	7	4	4	22	12	+10	6	2	7	17	22	−5

Source: Worldfootball

Results by round

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
Ground	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A
Result	D	L	L	W	W	W	L	L	D	L	L	L	D	W	W	L	D	L	W	L	W	W	D	W	D	W	W	W	W	L
Position

Source: Worldfootball
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

The league fixtures were unveiled on 22 June 2023.^[14]

30 July 2023 1	Club Brugge	1–1	Mechelen	Bruges
18:30 UTC+2	De Cuyper 37' 77' Thiago 65'	Report	Ngoy 14' Foulon 26' Schoofs 38'	Stadium: Jan Breydel Stadium Referee: Bert Put

6 August 2023 2	Mechelen	0–1	Gent	Mechelen
16:00 UTC+2	Belghali 35' Hairemans 90+1' Schoofs 90+5'	Report	Lavalée 54' (o.g.) Cuypers 65' Hjulsager 66' Fortuna 85'	Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Nicolas Laforge

12 August 2023 3	RWD Molenbeek	1–0	Mechelen	Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
16:00 UTC+2	Biron 74' Klaus 84' Defourny 90+1' Rikelmi 90+4'	Report	Malede 90+5'	Stadium: Edmond Machtens Stadium Referee: Bram Van Driessche

19 August 2023 4	Mechelen	4–0	Union Saint-Gilloise	Mechelen
20:45 UTC+2	Mrabti 38' Hairemans 78' Belghali 89' Bates 90+4'	Report	Lazare 83' Puertas 90+4'	Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Wim Smet

26 August 2023 5	Westerlo	2–3	Mechelen	Westerlo
16:00 UTC+2	Stassin 20' Frigan 28'	Report	Storm 40' Bates 45+5' Schoofs 75' Madsen 77' (o.g.) Lauberbach 84'	Stadium: Het Kuipje Referee: Brent Staessens

2 September 2023 6	Mechelen	1–0	Eupen	Mechelen
18:15 UTC+2	Lauberbach 81'	Report	Lambert 85'	Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Bert Put

17 September 2023 7	Sint-Truiden	2–0	Mechelen	Sint-Truiden
19:15				Stadium: Stayen Referee: Jasper Vergoote

23 September 2023 8	Mechelen	1–2	OH Leuven	Mechelen
18:15				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Nathan Verboomen

30 September 2023 9	Mechelen	0–0	Antwerp	Mechelen
20:45				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Jan Boterberg

7 October 2023 10	Anderlecht	3–1	Mechelen	Brussels
20:45				Stadium: Constant Vanden Stock Stadium Referee: Nicolas Laforge

22 October 2023 11	Genk	4–0	Mechelen	Genk
13:30				Stadium: Cegeka Arena Referee: Jan Boterberg

28 October 2023 12	Mechelen	0–2	Cercle Brugge	Mechelen
16:00				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Erik Lambrechts

5 November 2023 13	Standard Liège	1–1	Mechelen	Liège
16:00				Stadium: Stade Maurice Dufrasne Referee: Kevin Van Damme

11 November 2023 14	Mechelen	1–0	Charleroi	Mechelen
20:45				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Wesli De Cremer

26 November 2023 15	Kortrijk	0–3	Mechelen	Kortrijk
19:15				Stadium: Guldensporen Stadion Referee: Jan Boterberg

3 December 2023 16	Mechelen	0–2	Sint-Truiden	Mechelen
16:00				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Wim Smet

10 December 2023 17	Mechelen	0–0	Club Brugge	Mechelen
13:30				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Nicolas Laforge

17 December 2023 18	Union Saint-Gilloise	1–0	Mechelen	Brussels
16:00				Stadium: Stade Joseph Marien Referee: Bert Put

20 December 2023 19	Mechelen	3–0	Standard Liège	Mechelen
20:45				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Jan Boterberg

27 December 2023 20	Charleroi	3–1	Mechelen	Charleroi
20:45				Stadium: Stade du Pays de Charleroi Referee: Wesli De Cremer

19 January 2024 21	Gent	1–2	Mechelen	Ghent
20:45				Stadium: Ghelamco Arena Referee: Jonathan Lardot

28 January 2024 22	Mechelen	3–1	RWDM	Mechelen
19:15				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Brent Staessens

1 February 2024 23	Mechelen	2–2	Anderlecht	Mechelen
20:30				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Wesli De Cremer

4 February 2024 24	Eupen	0–1	Mechelen	Eupen
16:00				Stadium: Kehrwegstadion Referee: Simon Bourdeaud'Hui

11 February 2024 25	Mechelen	1–1	Genk	Mechelen
16:00				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Bram Van Driessche

17 February 2024 26	Antwerp	0–1	Mechelen	Antwerp
20:45				Stadium: Bosuilstadion Referee: Wesli De Cremer

24 February 2024 27	Mechelen	3–0	Kortrijk	Mechelen
20:45				Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Lawrence Wisser

2 March 2024 28	Cercle Brugge	2–3	Mechelen	Bruges
16:00	Minda 21' Felipe Augusto 44'		Mrabti 41' Hairemans 45+1' Bafdili 85'	Stadium: Jan Breydel Stadium Referee: Jan Boterberg

8 March 2024 29	Mechelen	3–1	Westerlo	Mechelen
20:45	Mrabti 11', 37' Pflücke 73'		Bos 90'	Stadium: AFAS Stadion Referee: Nathan Verboomen

17 March 2024 30	OH Leuven	1–0	Mechelen	Leuven
18:30	Nsingi 90+3'			Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Jonathan Lardot

Europe Play-offs