Challenger Pro League
Season2023–24
Matches played39
Goals scored111 (2.85 per match)
Top goalscorerAdriano Bertaccini (7 goals)
Biggest home winSeraing 3–0 SL16FC
Biggest away winSeraing 0–5 Zulte Waregem
Highest scoringFrancs Borains 2–5 Jong Genk
Longest winning run4 matches (Lommel)
Longest unbeaten run4 matches (Lommel & Zulte Waregem)
Longest losing run3 matches (Oostende)

The 2023–24 season of the Challenger Pro League is scheduled to begin in August 2023 and end in May 2024. It will be the second season under its new name after being renamed from First Division B.

Team changes

This season, the league was expanded from 12 to 16 teams.

Incoming

Outgoing

Format changes

As the league expanded from 12 to 16 teams, this also involved a new format: a regular round-robin tournament of 30 matchdays. After this, the champions and runners-up will both be promoted to the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League and similarly, the two bottom finishers will be relegated to the 2024–25 Belgian National Division 1. Play-offs will be organized between the teams finishing in positions 3 through 6, with the winner of these play-offs facing the runner-up of the relegation playoffs in the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League for the final remaining ticket in the 2024–25 Belgian Pro League.

U23 are in theory eligible for promotion and relegation but always have to play at least one level below their mother club. This means that:

  • The four U23 teams in this division are not eligible for promotion. In case one or more of these teams finish in the top six positions, the promotion and play-offs spots will shift along to the next eligible team in the standings.
  • Should one of the mother clubs of the teams in this division be relegated from the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League, the corresponding U23 team will be forced to relegate as well from the 2023–24 Challenger Pro League, irrespective of its finishing position.

Team information

Stadiums and locations

Matricule Club City First season of
current spell at
second level		 Coming from 2022-23 result Stadium Capacity
35 RSCA Futures Anderlecht, Brussels 2022–23 U23 competition 6th (CPL) King Baudouin Stadium 38,000
13 K Beerschot VA Antwerp 2022–23 Belgian First Division A 3rd (CPL) Olympic Stadium 12,771
4068 S.K. Beveren Beveren 2021–22 Belgian First Division B 2nd (CPL) Freethiel Stadion 8,190
3 Club NXT Bruges[lower-alpha 1] 2022–23 U23 competition 4th (CPL) Schiervelde Stadion 8,340
818 K.M.S.K. Deinze Deinze 2020–21 Belgian First Amateur Division 8th (CPL) Burgemeester Van de Wiele Stadion 7,515
3900 F.C.V. Dender E.H. Denderleeuw 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1 9th (CPL) Van Roystadion 6,429
5192 Francs Borains Boussu 2023–24 Belgian National Division 1 3rd (NatD1) Stade Robert Urbain 6,000
322 Jong Genk Genk 2022–23 U23 competition 11th (CPL) Luminus Arena 24,956
3970 Lierse Kempenzonen Lier 2020–21 Belgian First Amateur Division 5th (CPL) Herman Vanderpoortenstadion 14,538
2554 Lommel SK Lommel 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division 7th (CPL) Soevereinstadion 8,000
31 Oostende Ostend 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 16th (BPL) Diaz Arena 8,432
3434 Patro Eisden Maasmechelen Maasmechelen 2023–24 Belgian National Division 1 1st (NatD1) Gemeentelijk Sportparkstadion 5,500
4 RFC Liège Liège 2023–24 Belgian National Division 1 2nd (NatD1) Stade de Rocourt 8,000
167 Seraing Seraing 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 18th (BPL) Stade du Pairay 8,207
16 SL16 FC Liège 2022–23 U23 competition 10th (CPL) Stade Maurice Dufrasne 30,023
5381 Zulte Waregem Waregem 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 17th (BPL) Regenboogstadion 12,500

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Beerschot 17 10 3 4 28 15 +13 33 Promoted to Pro League
2 Zulte Waregem 17 10 2 5 33 21 +12 32
3 Dender EH 17 8 6 3 31 19 +12 30 Qualification for promotion play-offs
4 Deinze 17 9 2 6 23 21 +2 29
5 Beveren 17 8 5 4 28 17 +11 29
6 RFC Liège 17 9 1 7 22 22 0 28
7 Lommel 17 8 4 5 24 17 +7 28
8 Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 17 8 4 5 22 18 +4 28
9 RSCA Futures[lower-alpha 2] 17 6 6 5 26 24 +2 24
10 Club NXT[lower-alpha 2] 17 6 2 9 22 29 −7 20
11 Jong Genk[lower-alpha 2] 17 5 3 9 27 33 −6 18
12 Lierse Kempenzonen 17 5 3 9 25 34 −9 18
13 Francs Borains 17 5 1 11 17 27 −10 16
14 SL16 FC[lower-alpha 2] 17 5 0 12 17 34 −17 15
15 Seraing 17 3 5 9 19 30 −11 14 Relegated to National Division 1
16 Oostende 17 4 7 6 15 19 −4 10[lower-alpha 3]
Updated to match(es) played on 14 January 2024. Source: Challenger Pro League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Matches won; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away goals scored; 6) Away matches won; 7) Play-off.[3]
Notes:
  1. ↑ Club NXT did not play its home matches at the same venue as the A-squad of Club Brugge (the Jan Breydel Stadium) but rather they moved to Roeselare to play in the Schiervelde Stadion.
  2. 1 2 3 4 ineligible for promotion and playoffs
  3. ↑ On 20 December 2023, Oostende were deducted 3 points for outstanding debts and not adhering to the Belgian FA regulations.[1] One day later, another 6 points were deducted for missing a second deadline for repayment of debts.[2]

    Positions by round

    The table lists the positions of teams after the completion of each round, with postponed matches and points deductions only included when occurring. Teams that have played fewer matches are shown with their position underlined:

    • The match between SL16 FC and Beerschot of matchday 3 was postponed due to being prohibited by the mayor of Liège, it was rescheduled to be played between matchdays 14 and 15 and hence its effects will only appear in the table below at the end of matchday 15.
    • The match between Dender EH and Francs Borains of matchday 14 was postponed due to snow. It was played a few days later between matchdays 14 and 15 and hence its effects will only appear in the table below at the end of matchday 15.
    • On 20 December 2023, between matchdays 16 and 17, Oostende was deducted a total of 9 points (3+6) for outstanding debts and breach of Belgian FA regulations.

    Colored cells refer to being promoted (green), in promotion play-offs (yellow) or relegation play-offs (red). Note that U23 teams are ineligible for promotion and playoffs, and the coloring is adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, if one of the mother clubs of these four teams is relegated, the U23 would automatically take up one of the relegation spots as U23 teams always have to remain at least one level below their mother club, this is not accounted for in the coloring until after the season.

    Team ╲ Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
    Beerschot241067565332211221
    Zulte Waregem1511222232111122112
    Dender EH678969108867569453
    Deinze13121375787556433334
    Beveren101415111112121412101111108765
    RFC Liège1215111410654685785676
    Lommel72111111223356987
    Patro Eisden Maasmechelen45443326774644548
    RSCA Futures[lower-alpha 1]141012131514141199997108999
    Club NXT[lower-alpha 1]58338443448897101010
    Jong Genk[lower-alpha 1]815591079101214151612131411
    Lierse Kempenzonen9671213151515141312101111111112
    Francs Borains396848910111410131314161613
    SL16 FC[lower-alpha 1]1613141516161616161616161516121314
    Seraing1391012111112131113141415151515
    Oostende111616161413131315151512121314121616
    1. 1 2 3 4 ineligible for promotion and playoffs
    Updated to match(es) played on 14 January 2024. Source: worldfootball.net

    Results

    Home \ Away BEE ZWA DEN DEI BEV RFC LOM PEM AND NXT LIE STA GNK SER FRB OOS
    Beerschot 1–2 0–1 1–2[lower-alpha 1] 0–0 3–0 2–1 1–1 28 Jan 11 Feb 25 Feb 2–1 1–1
    Zulte Waregem 1–1 2–1 3 Feb 1–0 9 Feb 2–5 0–1 21 Jan 2–1 1–3 0–1
    Dender EH 17 Feb 0–0 3–1 27 Jan 2–3 2–0 2–2 1–3 20 Jan 2–0[lower-alpha 2] 1–1
    Deinze 18 Feb 1–1 0–0 3–1 10 Feb 1–3 19 Jan 2–1 3–2 1–0 1–0
    Beveren 0–3 3–2 23 Feb 1–2 2–2 21 Jan 11 Feb 2–0 2–1 1–1 3–0
    RFC Liège 4 Feb 28 Jan 0–1 2–1 1–0 0–2 3–1 2–4 24 Feb 2–1 1–0 2–0
    Lommel 19 Jan 1–1 3 Feb 1–0 1–2 1–0 3–0 1–0 0–1 3–0 17 Feb
    Patro Eisden Maasmechelen 0–2 0–3 1–1 3–1 2–1 0–2 18 Feb 4–0 23 Feb 21 Jan 2–1 4 Feb
    RSCA Futures 1–3 24 Feb 1–3 0–2 20 Jan 1–1 1–3 3–3 3–0 1–1 10 Feb 0–0
    Club NXT 0–2 16 Feb 2 Feb 0–3 0–2 2–2 0–1 3–2 4–1 1–0 3–3
    Lierse Kempenzonen 1–3 0–1 2–4 0–1 2–2 1–2 2–1 1–4 16 Feb 1–0 3 Feb
    SL16 FC 1–0[lower-alpha 1] 1–3 0–4 2–1 1–4 2–1 26 Jan 0–1 2 Feb 3–1 18 Feb 0–1
    Jong Genk 1–2 2–4 9 Feb 3–2 1–0 2–3 25 Feb 0–1 26 Jan 0–3 1–3 1–1
    Seraing 1–2 0–5 1–3 17 Feb 2–2[lower-alpha 1] 1–1 2–1 27 Jan 3–0 4 Feb 1–5
    Francs Borains 1–3 25 Feb 0–1 27 Jan 0–0 1–0 11 Feb 2–0 2–1 2–5 0–2 20 Jan
    Oostende 3–2 28 Jan 0–2 10 Feb 0–1 0–0 1–2 24 Feb 0–1 2–2 1–1 1–0
    Updated to match(es) played on 14 January 2024. Source: Flashscore
    Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
    Notes:
    1. 1 2 3 After the match between SL16 FC and Beerschot had been prohibited by the mayor of Liège in August citing a lack of available police officers, the match of matchday 3 was rescheduled from 26 August to 5 December, in between matchdays 14 and 15. As a result, the calendar commission also decided to switch the places on the calendar of the matches Seraing-Lommel (from 10 to 8 December) and Beerschot-Deinze (from 8 to 10 December).[4]
    2. ↑ The match between Dender EH and Francs Borains of matchday 14 (3 December) was postponed for two days due to snow.

    Season statistics

    Top scorers

    As of 14 January 2024[5]
    Rank Player Club Goals
    1 Belgium Adriano Bertaccini RFC Liège 11
    2 Belgium Jelle Vossen Zulte Waregem 9
    3 Guinea-Bissau Zinho Gano Zulte Waregem 8
    Central African Republic Goduine Koyalipou Beveren
    Belgium Bruny Nsimba Dender EH
    Belgium Tom Reyners Beerschot
    7 Brazil Arthur Sales Lommel 7
    8 Nigeria Victory Beniangba Jong Genk 6
    Belgium Thibaut Van Acker Lierse Kempenzonen
    Belgium Romeo Vermant Club NXT
    5 goals (5 players)
    4 goals (11 players)
    3 goals (22 players)
    2 goals (36 players)
    1 goal (78 players)
    3 own goals (1 player)
    2 own goals (1 player)
    1 own goal (14 players)

    Number of teams by provinces

    Number of teams Province or region Team(s)
    3  East FlandersBeveren, Deinze and Dender EH
     LiègeSeraing, SL16 FC and RFC Liège
     LimburgJong Genk, Lommel and Patro Eisden Maasmechelen
     West FlandersClub NXT, Oostende and Zulte Waregem
    2  AntwerpBeerschot and Lierse Kempenzonen
    1  BrusselsRSCA Futures
     HainautFrancs Borains

    Notes

      References

      1. ↑ "Vandaag min 3 punten en morgen alweer? KV Oostende, dat ook transferverbod kreeg, lijkt in vrije val" [Today minus 3 points and tomorrow again? KV Oostende, which also received a transfer ban, seems to be in free fall]. Sporza. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
      2. ↑ "Clubs in de problemen: KV Oostende verliest nóg eens 6 punten, Standard krijgt transferverbod" [Clubs in trouble: KV Oostende loses another 6 points, Standard receives a transfer ban]. Sporza. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
      3. ↑ "General terms Belgian competition" (PDF). kbvb.be. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
      4. ↑ https://sporza.be/nl/2023/11/08/uitgesteld-duel-tussen-beerschot-en-sl16-wordt-op-5-december-ing~1699449479276/
      5. ↑ "Spelersstatistieken". Retrieved 22 August 2023.
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