Nabil Dirar

Early career

Born in Casablanca, Dirar moved to Belgium in his early teens and began his career at RWD Molenbeek and Saint-Gilloise before moving to Diegem Sport in 2004, where he began his professional career. During his two-year stay, he scored 2 goals in 26 appearances. Dirar's performances drew the attention of many clubs, including Westerlo, which won the race against other clubs to sign him, contracting him for three years effective 1 July 2006.

Westerlo

2006–07 season

Dirar made his Westerlo debut in the opening match of the 2006–07 season, appearing as a late substitute for Patrick Ogunsoto in a 2–1 loss against Roeselare. He scored his first Westerlo goal on 21 October in the sixth round of the Belgium Cup, a 1–0 win over Zaventem. He provided two assists in a 2–1 win over Mons on 10 February 2007, and did so again in a 4–2 win over Zulte Waregem on 21 April. In the last match of the season, Dirar scored his first Westerlo goal in the Belgian First Division, in a 1–1 draw against Gent. He finished the 2006–07 season with 2 goals from 35 appearances in all competitions.

2007–08 season

The 2007–08 season saw Dirar score his first goal of the season on 24 September 2007, in a 2–1 loss against Standard Liège. He then set up two goals to help the club defeat Roseselare 6–0 on 20 October. On 19 January 2008, he scored one goal and assisted two others in a 7–2 win against RWDM Brussels. However, as the 2007–08 season progressed, he…

Dirar holds both Belgian and Moroccan nationalities, making him eligible to play for either national team. After featuring for the Morocco U23, he hinted at playing for the Belgium after being left out of the Morocco squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. Dirar initially announced his intention to play for the Belgium national football team after he decided to decline Morocco's offer. However, he was ineligible to play for Belgium due to his appearances for the Moroccan youth squad. Eventually, two months later, he announced his intention to play for Morocco. Previously, he had said that he considered himself more Moroccan than Belgian. After appearing in the Morocco U23 side, Dirar earned his first cap for the Morocco in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Mauritania on 11 October 2008. His international career was in doubt after being left out of the squad. He later revealed that he did not get on with then Morocco Manager Roger Lemerre, saying Lemerre treated him like a dog. Following Lemerre's sacking, Dirar was welcomed back to the national team. In February 2012, he was called up by Manager Eric Gerets for the Africa Cup of Nations but declined the offer, believing that Gerets would not be needing him for the national team squad. However, after a six-year absence, Dirar made his national team return, where he played as a right–back, in a 1–0 loss against Uruguay on 28 March 2015. It was his first appearance since being suspended. In May 2018 he was named…

Club

As of match played on 3 August 2023.

International

As of match played 19 November 2019

International goals

Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Dirar grew up in a poor childhood: his father died when he was one, leaving his mother, a housekeeper, raising eleven children: seven sons and four daughters. Due to his mother's struggle, his brothers worked to support his mother. Dirar expressed his past dislike for school, having revealed that he skipped school and exams. Despite this, Dirar took auto mechanic's classes for two years. Dirar is also good friends with compatriot teammate Mbark Boussoufa. In September 2012, Dirar was fined and lost his driver's license for about fifteen days after he parked his car in the bike path prior to his departure to AS Monaco. Dirar married in 2011. In 2012, Dirar became a father when his wife gave birth to a daughter, Layana, which led him to cancel his international commitment to Morocco. He is a Muslim.