Wydad Athletic Club ( ar, نادي الوداد الرياضي, ) commonly referred to as Wydad AC and known as Wydad, or simply as WAC, is a Moroccan
sports club based in
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
. Wydad AC is best known for its professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team that competes in
Botola
The Botola Pro ( ar, البطولة الاحترافية, translit=al-buṭūla l-iḥtirāfiyya), is a Moroccan professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Moroccan football league system, it is the country's prima ...
, the top tier of the
Moroccan football league system The Moroccan football league system are two professional leagues, and four levels of small amateur football leagues. All the leagues are connected by a promotion and relegation
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where team ...
, they are one of three clubs to have
never been relegated from the top flight.
Founded on 8 May 1937 by seven Moroccans belonging the national movement for independence, led by Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi. They initially focused on
water polo to give indigenous Moroccans the right to access swimming pools before Mohamed Ben Lahcen Affani – also known by the nickname of "
Père Jégo
A name suffix, in the Western English-language naming tradition, follows a person's full name and provides additional information about the person. Post-nominal letters indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accredita ...
" ("Father Jégo") – created the football section in 1939, he was the first manager of the team. The club has traditionally worn a red home kit since inception.
Domestically, Wydad has won a record of 22
Moroccan league titles and 9
Moroccan Throne Cups, becoming the most titled club in Morocco. In continental and international competitions, the club has won three
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club competition organized by the Confederation of African Football and co ...
s, one
African Cup Winners' Cup
The African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederation Cup. It was a competition between the winning clubs of domestic cups in CAF-affiliated nations and was ...
, one
CAF Super Cup
The CAF Super Cup (also known as African Super Cup or for sponsorship reasons TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup) is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation ...
, one
Afro-Asian Club Championship, one
Mohammed V Trophy, one
Arab Club Champions Cup
The Arab Club Champions Cup ( ar, كأس العرب للأندية الأبطال, french: Ligue des Champions Arabe) is an annual regional club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and contested by eli ...
, one
Arab Super Cup, three
North African Championship
The North African Championship was a football competition involving the territories of French Algeria, French protectorate of Morocco and French protectorate of Tunisia. It was played between the champions of the Tunisian, the Moroccan footba ...
s and one
North African Cup.
The Reds shares rivalry with
Raja CA, named the
Casablanca derby. Wydad also holds rivalry with
AS FAR.
The club also competes in
basketball,
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
,
field hockey,
cycle sport
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling s ...
,
volleyball, and
rugby.
History
Before independence (1935–1955)
Creation and early Wydad (1937–1940)
The origin of the establishment of Wydad Athletic Club on resistance the colonialism that was imposed by the French authorities during the
era of protectorate in Morocco, since before the independence of Morocco, the
port of Casablanca
The Port of Casablanca ( , ) refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Casablanca's harbours and which handle Casablanca's shipping. The port is located near Hassan II Mosque.
The Port ...
was surrounded by a large number of swimming pools that were dedicated to clubs and sports associations only, and the Europeans were the ones who can supervising them. In beginning of the year 1935, many Moroccan Muslims and Jews joined several clubs to take advantage of the private swimming pools, but they were soon expelled by the colonizer because of their fear of an increase in their numbers later, and from here came the idea of establishing a Moroccan club by Moroccans only, so that the club can benefit of the swimming pools and participate in water polo competitions.
The idea of establishing Wydad Athletic Club was not as easy as it could be imagined, as all the members of the original core, including
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi and Hajj Dr. Abdellatif Benjelloun Touimi, suffered from the continued rejection and intransigence of the French authorities to the idea of establishing a “full Moroccan club”, which prompted them to resort to the Franco-Moroccan Association, in order to amend the matters related to registering the club's name, after which the General Resident in Morocco at the time,
Maurice Nogues, personally intervened to allow the establishment of Wydad Athletic Club, but with specific conditions.
Wydad () is an
Arabic word that means "love", "sincere affection.", during the frequent meetings which led to the creation of the club, one of the founding members arrived late after watching the latest film of the legendary Egyptian actress and singer
Umm Kulthum with the same name, though
latinized as
Weddad, as it coincided with this answer that
Zaghrouda set out from one of the neighboring houses to the meeting place, the attendees were optimistic about it, and
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
Mohamed Ben Lahcen Affani expressed his support for choosing this name, but the intervention of some of the attendees led to a postponement for the final decision on the name of the club, except after the presence of a large number of managers and players, as the name was approved after holding a general gathering, the result was the suggestion and choice of the name "Wydad Athletic Club", as a name for the club without the inclusion of the word “Casablanca” because the club represents all Moroccans, not just the residents of the city of Casablanca.
Wydad played its first game against defending champion USM Casablanca as part of the first day of the championship in what is a criterion of war in September 1939. This meeting was the first of Wydad ended in defeat with a score of two goals to one. The first scorer was Abdelkader Lakhmiri. During this first season Wydad it was not a championship that was played but a true test of war called cutting war because of the Second World War. The first edition of this competition was played so in the context of the 1939–40 season and ended with a victory for the USM Casablanca facing the new team what Wydad. One who had played his first match against USM and had also faced rematch is still faced in the final after an incredible journey that has to qualify. The meeting was ended with a score of 1–0 at Stade Philippe to Casablanca. 1939–40: Champion of Chaouia League 1940: Winner of Moroccan Super Cup 1940: Runner-up of Moroccan Cup
The following season was also a criterion of war except that this time Wydad fails the same course as in the previous season. The Reds began the competition in a group comprising a total of nine groups or they managed to skilled in the finals. The final phase started from the quarter-finals where finally, the WAC is beaten by the Olympic Khouribga to score a 1–0. And finally.
1940–41: Runner-up of Chaouia League.
Promotion and Honour Division (1941–1947)
After playing two seasons in cutting the war, the French authorities under the orders of the Vichy regime decided to play the championship again at war. Despite the very good performance of Wydad, the French authorities decided to Wydad play in the second division and not first. One of the main reasons is the fact that the federation at the time was managed by teams of 1st Division. Despite these injustices, Wydad managed to be the first in their pool and in the context of a game between the dam at Ittihad Ribati, he succeeds in beating up the latter by a goal to nil. For fear that Wydad up in the first division, the federation decided to play another game the opponent this time in the Athletic Union of Meknes. This encounter was played behind closed doors in Meknes and during the month of Ramadan. The team was composed meknassis majority of non-Muslims opposed to Wydad. But finally Wydad thanks to a goal from Ben Messaoud to 12 minute first successful rising after receiving a letter from the federation confirming the rise in 1st division.
1941–42: Champion of Moroccan Championship D2
1941–42: Runner-up of Chaouia League.
The next season after winning the championship promotion honor is the 2nd level football league in Morocco and after winning his matches dams, Wydad newly promoted division plays of honor is 'equivalent of first division football league in Morocco. During this season, Wydad had a good run, finishing in the top three of their group to play the final round, which begins from the second round. And after a very good run, Wydad reached the final of the chicken and confronts the USM Casablanca club already encountered in regional chickens. Wydad fails to win his first title in this competition and was beaten on the score of 2–0.
1942–43: Champion of Chaouia League.
1942–43: Runner-up of Moroccan Championship.
During the season 1943–44, the red and white ends the year with a balance of the quarter-finals after several victories, the club face Fedala score on the river 2–0. Also noteworthy during this season package of USM Casablanca. In 1944–45, the club managed the final qualification in the pool but was eliminated by the Association Sportive Marrakech Marrakech often called SAM despite a victory in the second round against the ASM score of 3–0.
The 1945–46 season is one of the best in the club since its inception as Wydad won the regional championship with a total of more than 62 points or 19 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. After winning the title, Wydad qualifies for final round where he was defeated by the USM Casablanca final score of 3–1. Despite this defeat, the balance of the season is rather positive. During the 1946–47 season, the club honors its first participation in the North African Cup but failed to move beyond sixteenth-finals following a defeat club Fedala the most minimal scores a 1–0. In the league, the WAC failed to win the title.
Early titles and independence (1947–1956)
It will take more than nine years for Wydad to finally win its first
championship. In a group of eight clubs, Wydad played fourteen matches, won six, lost two and drawn six. Moroccan Iyad El Baz helped win Wydad's first ever trophy. During the same season Wydad participates in the
North African Championship
The North African Championship was a football competition involving the territories of French Algeria, French protectorate of Morocco and French protectorate of Tunisia. It was played between the champions of the Tunisian, the Moroccan footba ...
with the title won and even managed to win by beating the US Athletic score of 4–2. Wydad also took part in the 1948–49 season of the
North African Championship
The North African Championship was a football competition involving the territories of French Algeria, French protectorate of Morocco and French protectorate of Tunisia. It was played between the champions of the Tunisian, the Moroccan footba ...
, which is a competition organized by the
Union of North African Football that it is made up of five leagues is that of the
Morocco,
Tunisia,
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
,
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
and
Constantine. The competition began for Wydad in the knockout final against Red Star of Algiers. The match ended in a victory for Wydad AC score of 3–1. Then, in the quarter-finals, he must face the USM Bone or he managed to climb in the semi-finals with a victory on the score of 2–1. Continuing his journey, he must then face the Olympic Hussein Dey, club league Algiers. This meeting was a massacre ending with a victory on the score of 3–0 while the club qualified for the finals is a club and even Casablanca Moroccan who managed to beat the Sports Club Hammam Lif on the modest score of 1–0. this club is in fact the US Athletic. The final was held in Casablanca in 1949, is opposed both clubs are Wydad AC that and the US Athletic and after 90 minutes of play, Wydad won the competition for the first time in its history with a victory on the score of 2–1. During the same season they also managed to win a Championship North African football when editing played as mini-league since it was the team with the most points wins the championship, they also won another championship, so it is the first club which has tripled something which nobody has done throughout history. During the following season Wydad fails to succeed on a hat-trick but doubled. It won the Moroccan championship for the third time in its history and a row with a total of more than 57 points, and won the championship of North African football by beating the Athletic Union Muslim Oran on the score 4–0 in
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
on 28 May 1950.
During the 1950–51 season, Wydad continues its momentum by winning the national championship but was beaten in the final of the African Cup North face SC Bel-Abbes on the score 1–0. During the last season played before independence, Wydad won his fifth and last championship title before Moroccan independence. Participating teams in this championship was twelve in number counting Wydad. During the same season, the Reds were beaten in the final of the championship of North Africa to Casablanca in the face of Esperance Sportive de Guelma score of 2–1.
After independence (1956–1960)
Morocco becomes independent, and the WAC receives the honorary Resistance Card with the number 1 by his royal majesty Mohammed V. Before launching the first Moroccan championship for the 1956/57 season, the committee decides to organize a first competition called Independence Cup, and classify the teams in the divisions. This cup is won by Wydad AC which has become the number 1 club in Morocco. The 38th edition of the championship (the first after independence) is won by the WAC (title holder) with the Kawkab of Marrakech as its runner-up. The same season in the cup, Wydad qualified for the final against the Mouloudia Club of Oujda. The match ends with a score of 1–1, King Mohammed V, Crown Prince Hassan II and WAC founder Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi who are present in this final, decide to give the cup to Mouloudia Oujda. because he scored the first goal.
During the following season, the WAC finished vice-champion of Morocco with 69 points, one less than the champion, the Kawkab of Marrakech. The Wydad who was first loses all his points won against the USM Casablanca following the general forfeit of it and also loses in the final of the Morocco Cup against the same opponent of last season on the score of 2 goals to 1.
During the following season, Wydad is still vice-champion behind the Casablanca star while in the Throne Cup, the WAC is eliminated in the round of 16 against the FAR of Rabat, winners of this competition. WAC forward Mustapha Khalfi finished top scorer in Botola with 21 goals.
The following season, Wydad reached fourth place with only one point less than the top three. In the Cup, and after defeating Essaouira with a score of one goal to zero, the WAC was eliminated in the quarterfinals against Mouloudia d'Ouejda.
The 1960s
The first 1960/61 season ended badly with a 7th place in the league, in the cup the WAC was able to climb into the final by defeating the future champion of this season, the FAR of Rabat, on the score of two goals to one. But Wydad has always missed its finals since 1956 and faces last season's champion Kenitra Athletic Club. The Wydad was beaten with the score of a goal to zero on April 24, 1960, at the Stade d'honneur in Casablanca. The following season, the WAC finished 6th in the Botola classification, and was beaten in the eighth finals of the Morocco Cup against Mouloudia d'Ouejda with the score of 2 goals to 0. In the 1962 season / 63, the WAC again finished 6th in Botola, and reached the semi-final of the Morocco Cup eliminated by KAC Marrakech. The following season, WAC was again 6th in Botola, and was a finalist in the Morocco Cup against KAC Marrakech. In the 1964/65 season, the WAC finished in the championship in 5th place, and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Cup.
It was not until the 1965/66 season to see the WAC champion of Morocco for the 7th time, with a total of 57 points. As the team was eliminated in the eighth finals of the Morocco Cup against MAS Fez, it took fifteen years to return to the Moroccan Super Cup against COD Meknès (winner of the Cup). The WAC participated for the first time in its history in the Mohammed V Cup where it finished 4th, after elimination against Real Madrid in the semi-final with the score of 2 goals to 0.
The 1966–67 season ended with a 4th place in the championship, and an elimination in the quarter-final of the Morocco Cup against the sports association of the royal armed forces. The following season the WAC will finish 8th in Botola, and eliminated in the round of 16 of the Cup against the same opponent, the sports association of the royal armed forces.
During the 1968–69 season, the WAC returned to the Botola podium, winning its 8th title of Champion of Morocco with a total of 73 points, including 16 victories, 11 draws and 3 lost matches. But unfortunately, he was eliminated in the second round of the Cup. In June, facing RS Settat (winner of the Morocco Cup), the WAC won its 6th Moroccan Super Cup solved by captain Mohammed Sahraoui.
Finally the Morocco Cup (1970–1979)
We had to wait thirty-one years to see the WAC winner of the Morocco Cup, and it was against RS Settat that the reds won the title with the score of a goal to zero. Compared to the 1960s, the emperor of Moroccan football won three times the Botola and three times the Cup as well as the Mohammed V Cup thanks to legendary players such as
Larbi Aherdane,
Ezzaki Badou,
Aziz Bouderbala
Abdelaziz El Idrissi Bouderbala ( ar, عبد العزيز الإدريسي بودربالة; born December 26, 1960) is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. In 2006, he was selected by CAF as one of the best 200 ...
, Petchou or Abdelmajid Shaita. In the 1969–70 season, Wydad finished 5th at Botola, winner of the Cup. 1970–71: 7th at Botola, 2nd round of the Cup. 1971–72: vice-champion of Botola, 1/8 final of the Cup. 1972–73: 9th at Botola, 2nd round of the Cup. 1973–74: 5th in Botola, 1/4 final of the cup. 1974–75: 9th at Botola, 2nd round of the Cup, winner of the Green Market Cup. 1975–76: Moroccan champion, 9th coronation, 1/8 Cup final. 1976–77: Champion of Morocco, 10th coronation, 1/8 final of the Cup, 3rd of the Mohammed V Cup. 1977–78: Champion of Morocco, 11th coronation, winner of the 2nd coronation Cup. 1978–79: 3rd at Botola, Cup winner, 3rd coronation, Mohammed V Cup winner.
The revival (1980–1989)
In the first season, the WAC finished runner-up in Morocco with only 1 point difference from the winner, and won the Cup for the second time in its history, and regained the Botola podium for the 12th time in 1986, and participates for the first time in the CAF Champions League, since it is the first Moroccan club to win the Arab Cup of Champions Clubs in 1989 and a 3rd Cup of Morocco in the same year. In the 1979–80: vice-champion of Morocco, 1/8 Cup final, winner of the Meknes International Tournament. 1980–81: 4th at Botola, Winner of the 2nd coronation Cup, winner of the Mohamed Benjelloun Trophy. 1981–82: vice-champion of Morocco, 1/8 final of the Cup.1982–83: 3rd at Botola, 1/8 Cup final, winner of the Independence Tournament. 1983–84: 5th at Botola, 2nd round of the Cup. 1984–85: 4th at Botola, 1/8 Cup final. 1985–86: Moroccan champion 12th coronation, 2nd round of the Cup. 1986–87: 4th at Botola, 2nd round of the Cup, 2nd round of the Champions League. 1987–88: 4th at Botola, semi-finalist of the Cup, winner of the Pescara International Cup. 1988–89: 5th at Botola, winner of the 3rd coronation Cup, winner of the Arab Cup of Champions Clubs.
Golden Era (1990–1999)
During this decade, the WAC won all possible competitions, with two consecutive victories in Botola, the CAF Champions League, the Arab Super Cup, the 15th coronation of champion of Morocco, the Afro-Asian Super Cup, the 8th Cup of Morocco in its history, twice the Moroccan Supercup in 1995 and 1999: 1989–90: Moroccan champion, 13th coronation, 2nd round of the Cup. 1990–91: Moroccan champion, 14th coronation, 1/4 final of the Cup, semi-finalist of the CAF Champions League. 1991–92: 3rd at Botola, 1/8 final of the Cup, winner of the CAF Champions League, winner of the Arab Super Cup. 1992–93: finalist of the CAF Supercup, champion of Morocco, 15th coronation, 1/4 Cup final, winner of the Afro-Asian Cup. 1993–94: vice-champion of Morocco, winner of the Cup, 6th coronation, finalist of the African-European Cup, 2nd round of the Champions League. 1994–95: winner of the Moroccan Supercup, 7th coronation, 5th at Botola, 1/8 Cup final. 1995–96: 3rd at Botola, 1/4 Cup final, winner of the Dallas International Cup. 1996–97: vice-champion of Morocco, winner of the Cup, 7th coronation. 1997–98: 3rd at Botola, Cup winner, 8th coronation, Supercup finalist, semi-finalist of the CAF Cup Cup. 1998–99: winner of the Moroccan Supercup, 8th coronation, 5th at Botola, 1/16 Cup final, CAF Cup finalist.
Decline (2000–2014)
During this decade, the Red Devils have won fewer titles than before. It was a bad chapter in the history of the club: 1999–00: vice-champion of Morocco, 1/16 Cup final, 1/8 CAF Cup final. 2000–01: 7th at Botola, winner of the 9th coronation Cup, 1/4 final CAF Cup. 2001–02: vice-champion of Morocco, 1/16 final of the Cup, winner of the CAF Cup Cup after defeating
Asante Kotoko S.C.
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''Porcupine Warriors'', they compete in the Ghana Premie ...
2002–03: 3rd at Botola, Cup finalist, semi-finalist of the CAF Cup Cup. 2003–04: 3rd at Botola, Cup finalist after a 3–1 loss to
Zamalek SC, intermediate round Confederation Cup. 2004–05: 3rd at Botola, 1/16 Cup final, 1/4 final of the Arab Cup. 2005–06: Moroccan champion 16th coronation, 1/8 final of the Cup, 1/4 final of the Arab Cup. 2006–07: 4th at Botola, semi-finalist of the Cup, 2nd round of the CAF Champions League. 2007–08: 7th at Botola, 1/8 Cup final, Arab Cup finalist after a 2–0 loss to
ES Sétif. 2008–09: 4th at Botola, 1/4 Cup final, Arab Cup finalist after a 2–1 loss to
Espérance Sportive de Tunis. : 2009–10: Moroccan champion 17th coronation, 1/16 final of the Cup.
Said Naciri era (2014–present)
First Champions League in 25 years (2017)
From the start of the second decade of the 20th century, the WAC returned to the Botola podium by winning its 17th title, then in 2015, 2017 and 2019, as well as the CAF Champions League in 2017, and the Super Cup of CAF in 2018. 2014–15: Moroccan champion 18th coronation, 1/8 Cup final.2016–17: Moroccan champion 19th coronation, 1/8 final of the Cup, winner of the CAF Champions League. 2017–18: vice-champion of Morocco, semi-finalist of the Cup, 1/4 final of the CAF Champions League, 1/8 final of the Arab Cup, winner of the
2018 CAF Super Cup
The 2018 CAF Super Cup (officially the 2018 Total CAF Super Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th CAF Super Cup, an annual football match in Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), between the winners of the previous se ...
.
Second star and Radès final (2019)
2018–19: Moroccan champion 20th coronation, finalist of the CAF Champions League 2018–19 after a devastating Var problem that gifted
Espérance Sportive de Tunis the win. 2019–20: vice-champion of Morocco, semi-finalist of the CAF Champions League 2019–20. On 14 July 2021, Wydad defeated
Mouloudia Oujda 0–2 at the
Honneur Stadium to clinch their 21st league title, with three games left in the season, semi-finalist of the CAF Champions League 2019–20.
Third Champions League title (2022–present)
One day after the club's 85th anniversary, Wydad defeated
Atlético Petróleos de Luanda
Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, also known as Petro Atlético de Luanda, or simply Petro Atlético or Petro de Luanda, is a football club from Luanda, Angola, founded in 1980. The club won its first title, the Angolan League, in 1982 and is th ...
4–2 on aggregate (3–1
away
Away may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Away'' (2016 film), a 2016 British film
* ''Away'' (2019 film), a 2019 animated silent film
* ''Away'' (TV series), a 2020 science fiction drama on Netflix
Literature
* ''Away'' (play), a 1986 play by M ...
and 1–1 at home) to advance to their 5th
Champions League final and the 3rd one in 6 years. On 30 May 2022, in a rematch of
2017 final, Wydad AC beat defending champions
Al Ahly
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
in the
final to be crowned
champions of Africa for the third time in its history, thanks to a brace from the Man of the Match,
Zouhair El Moutaraji.
During this campaign under
Walid Regrgui role, the Red Castle has achieved many national records in the CAF Champions League: First Moroccan team to win an away semi-final match, most wins for a Moroccan team in a single season (9 wins), most goals scored in a single season (28 goals), and first Moroccan team to go undefeated for 9 straight games in a single season.
With this win, Wydad will play in the first-ever
all-Moroccan CAF Super Cup
The CAF Super Cup (also known as African Super Cup or for sponsorship reasons TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup) is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation ...
against
2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup
The 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup (officially the 2021–22 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 19th edition of Africa's secondary club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF ...
winners,
RS Berkane. On 21 July 2022, Wydad was elected as the best
Club of the year in the
2022 CAF Awards.
Crest
Home stadium
Stade Mohammed V
The Mohammed V Stadium ( ar, ملعب محمد الخامس, french: Stade Mohammed V) is a multi-purpose stadium which is part of the Mohammed V Athletic Complex () which is named after King Mohammed V and situated at the heart of Casablanca, M ...
is the home stadium of both Wydad and Raja. It was called the ''Stade
Marcel Cerdan'' from 1955 to 1956 and the ''Stade d'Honneur'' from 1956 to 1981. It was inaugurated on 6 March 1955 and renovated three times in 1981, 2000 and 2007. It is part of a large sports complex in the heart of Casablanca, specifically in the up-scale neighbourhood of Maârif.
It has a capacity of 67,000 spectators (reduced to more than 80,000 in 2000), not counting the North and South stands that have no seats. In 1997, 110,000 spectators showed up to the stadium in a match of the Moroccan national team against
Ghana. In 2007, the stadium was equipped with a semi-artificial turf which meets international standards.
Supporters
Wydad is one of the most popular teams in Morocco, with a fan base counted in millions all around the world. Wydad's ultras group is called "Winners 2005" and is renowned all over the world for its spectacular displays at each game. The "Winners 2005" was voted "the world's best ultras group in 2015 and 2019 by Ultras World magazine.
Statistics and records
Notable players
This list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.
Statistics in Botola
• Largest home win: WAC 7–0 HUSA (1958–59
• Largest away win: RSK 0–6 WAC (1985–86)
• Record number of games won in one season: 23 games in (1985–86)
• Record goals scored in a season: 58 goals (1985–86)
• Record for lowest number of goals conceded: 8 games (2002–03)
• Record of consecutive games won: 9 in (1990–91)
• Record number of most away wins in one season: 14 games (1985–86)
• Record for lowest number of draws: 5 games (1986–87)
• Record goals scored in one season: 56 goals in 30 games in (2018–19) 1.86 goals scored per game
Sports records
• Record for the highest number of titles in the Moroccan Championship: 22
• Record for the highest number of vice-champion titles in the Moroccan Championship: 14
• Record for most titles in Morocco: 44
• Record for most national titles: 31
• Record for most regional titles: 6
• Record for the highest number of consecutive seasons in the Moroccan league: 77
• Only to have never left the championship since 1942
• Most wins record: 1,392
• Record for most goals scored: 2293
• Record for the fewest defeats in the league: 1 (1977–78)
• 2nd highest number of Throne Cup: 9 titles
• Record number of finals in the Throne Cup with 15 editions including 6 lost
Individual sports records
• Largest number of top scorers in the Championship, 14 times with 10 scorers: Chtouki in 1948 and 1955, Abdesslam in 1949, Driss in 1950, Khalfi in 1951 and 1959, Chrif in 1978, Mjidou in 1984, Nader in 1986, 1987 and 1989, Fertout in 1993, Evona in 2015, Jebor in 2017 and Kaabi in 2021.
• Aziz Bouderbala has won the Throne Cup 4 times with Wydad which is a national record
• Moussa Ndao is the first foreigner to score in a 1989 Throne Cup final
• Abdelkhalek the only player to score 3 goals in a 1978 final
Abdelkhalek is the player who scored the most goals in the Throne Cup final
• Nader has finished three times top scorer in the Moroccan championship, he is the recordman with Laghrissi and Anaflous of the FAR, as well as Boussati of the KAC
• Badou Zaki is the only goalkeeper who won the African Ballon d'Or (in 1986).
Nationalistic connotation of the club
Wydad has embodied the struggle of Moroccan people against the French occupation, so much so that in all the soccer fields of Morocco where Wydad played was encouraged by thousands of fans. Unlike other clubs like the Racing Casablanca or the Union Sportive Marocaine (USM), the Wydad was composed mostly of Moroccan footballers (10 Moroccan players out of 11 was the maximum allowed by the regulations) and in some way was considered by the supporters Moroccans, a Moroccan national: through sport and Wydad, the Moroccans could symbolically defeat the occupier. This quality was specific to Wydad and no other Moroccan club can boast this status before independence. The Wydad was the "standard-bearer" of Morocco wherever he played. In a North African Cup game in Algeria, the Moroccan Wydad players refused to play the race because the Moroccan flag was not hoisted next to the French one: the game did not start until the organizers decided to raise the flag of Morocco next to the French tricolor. An anecdote that shows how the sense of the homeland was an important value for Wydad players goes back to those years: a player of Wydad, Abdeslam, during the pre-game match urinated in the direction of the musicians who played the Marseillaise.
The great victories of the Wydad in front of the teams owned by the French protectorate like the USM were experienced as a national holiday by all Moroccans. No coincidence that the crown prince to the throne of the Kingdom of Morocco, Hassan II was the main supporter of the team and did not hesitate, during the end of the first times of the games, to go down in the locker room to encourage the players of Wydad, who were considered by him and called "Moroccan troops".
Honours
Performance in CAF competitions
*
CAF Champions League
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club competition organized by the Confederation of African Football and co ...
: 14 appearances
::
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
– Second Round
::
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
– Quarter-finals
::
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
– Champion
::
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
– Second Round
::
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
– Second Round
::
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
– Second Round
::
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
– ''Runner-up''
::
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
– Semi-finals
::
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
– Champion
::
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
– Quarter final
::
2018–19 – ''Runner-up''
::
2019–20 – Semi-finals
::
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
– Semi-finals
::
2021–22 – Champion
*
CAF Confederation Cup
The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football club competition established in 2004 from a merger of the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners' Cup and organi ...
: 4 appearances
::
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
– Second Round of 16
::
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
– Second Round of 16
::
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
– Group stage
::
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
– Second round
*
CAF Super Cup
The CAF Super Cup (also known as African Super Cup or for sponsorship reasons TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup) is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation ...
4 appearences
::
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
– ''Runner-up''
::
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
– ''Runner-up''
::
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
– Champion
::
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
– ''Runner-up''
*
African Cup Winners' Cup
The African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederation Cup. It was a competition between the winning clubs of domestic cups in CAF-affiliated nations and was ...
: 3 appearances
::
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
– Semi-finals
::
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
– Champion
::
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
– Semi-finals
*
CAF Cup: 3 appearances
::
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
– ''Runner-up''
::
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
– Second Round
::
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
– Quarter-finals
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Personnel
Current technical staff
Management
Managers
*
Père Jégo
A name suffix, in the Western English-language naming tradition, follows a person's full name and provides additional information about the person. Post-nominal letters indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accredita ...
(1939–52)
*
Mohamed Massoun
Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam.
Muhammad and variations may also refer to:
*Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations
...
(1952–60, 1962–66, 1968–69)
*
Mustapha Bettache
Mustapha Bettache (20 January 1931 – 13 October 2005) was a Moroccan professional footballer who played for clubs in Morocco and France as well as the Morocco national football team and a football manager.
Club career
Born in the Habous neig ...
(1972–74, 1975–78)
*
Lucien Leduc (1974–75)
*
Jorvan Vieira (1984)
*
Jean Vincent (1985–86)
*
Cor van der Hart (1988–89)
* Abdellah Settati
*
Yuriy Sevastyanenko (1989–94)
*
Zaki Badou (1995–96)
*
Marcel Husson
Marcel Husson (born 23 January 1937 in Metz) is a retired French football defender and manager.
Playing career Club
Husson played for Metz, AS Talanges and Amnéville.
Managerial career
He also coached AS Talanges, Amnéville, Metz, Lens, Gueug ...
(1996–97)
*
Alexandru Moldovan
Alexandru Moldovan (born 23 August 1950, in Ocna Mureș) is a Romanian football manager and former midfielder.
Career
Playing career
Moldovan played for Dinamo Bucharest, Crişul Oradea, Jiul Petroșani, Progresul București, Victoria Bucure ...
(1997–98)
*
Zaki Badou (1998–2000)
*
Yuriy Sevastyanenko (1997, 1999, 2000–01)
*
Ladislas Lozano
Ladislas Lozano (born 24 June 1952 as Ladislao Lozano Léon) is a French-Spanish football coach and retired player. He is most remembered for guiding amateur team Calais RUFC to the Coupe de France Final 2000.
Managerial career
On 22 January 2 ...
(1 January 2002 – 20 March 2002)
*
Oscar Fulloné (2002–03)
*
Rachid Taoussi (2003)
*
Žarko Olarević
Žarko Olarević (; born 28 July 1950) is a Serbian former football manager and player.
Playing career
Olarević made his competitive debut for Partizan in the second half of the 1967–68 season. He later spent two seasons at Proleter Zrenja ...
(2003)
*
Ivica Todorov (1 July 2003 – 30 November 2003)
*
Michel Decastel
Michel Decastel (born 22 October 1955) is a Swiss football manager and a former midfielder. He was most recently the manager of the Swiss Challenge League club Neuchâtel Xamax
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (V ...
(1 December 2003 – 30 June 2004)
*
Jacky Bonnevay
Jacques "Jacky" Bonnevay (born 1 June 1961) is a French football coach, currently assistant manager of AS Saint-Étienne, and former player.
Playing career
Bonnevay was born in Le Coteau, Loire. He played for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Olympiq ...
(1 July 2004 – 30 June 2005)
*
José Romão (2005–06)
*
Ladislas Lozano
Ladislas Lozano (born 24 June 1952 as Ladislao Lozano Léon) is a French-Spanish football coach and retired player. He is most remembered for guiding amateur team Calais RUFC to the Coupe de France Final 2000.
Managerial career
On 22 January 2 ...
(15 February 2007 – 30 April 2007)
*
Nelo Vingada (2007)
*
Plamen Markov
Plamen Markov (born 11 September 1957) is a Bulgarian retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder for clubs in Bulgaria and France. He represented the Bulgaria national team at international level.
Playing career
Markov was bo ...
(1 July 2007 – 2007)
*
Jean-Michel Cavalli (12 December 2007 – 10 February 2008)
*
Oscar Fulloné (March 2008 – 8 June 2008)
*
Zaki Badou (26 June 2008 – 23 April 2010)
*
Fakhreddine Rajhi (May 2010)
*
Dutra (2010)
*
Diego Garzitto
Diego Garzitto (born 19 January 1950) is a French football coach and former professional player.
Playing career
Born in Italy, Garzitto was raised in France, and spent his entire professional career in his adopted nation, playing as a defender ...
(Oct 2010 – Jan 11)
*
Fakhreddine Rajhi (2011)
*
Michel Decastel
Michel Decastel (born 22 October 1955) is a Swiss football manager and a former midfielder. He was most recently the manager of the Swiss Challenge League club Neuchâtel Xamax
, neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (V ...
(20 June 2011 – 5 January 2012)
*
Benito Floro (1 January 2012 – 20 September 2012)
*
Zaki Badou (7 October 2012 – 2 June 2013)
*
Abderrahim Talib
Abderrahim Talib ( ar, عبد الرحيم طاليب; born 10 September 1963 in Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹ ...
(18 June 2013 – 24 December 2013)
*
John Toshack (June 2014 – September 2016)
*
Sébastien Desabre
Sébastien Serge Louis Desabre (born 2 August 1976) is a French professional football manager, who is the current manager of DR Congo.
Nicknamed ''The Florist'' he served as manager of the Uganda national team from 28 December 2017 until 7 July ...
(September 2016 – January 2017)
*
Hussein Ammouta (January 2017 – January 2018)
*
Faouzi Benzarti (January 2018 – July 2019)
*
Zoran Manojlovic (July 2019 – January 2020)
*
Sébastien Desabre
Sébastien Serge Louis Desabre (born 2 August 1976) is a French professional football manager, who is the current manager of DR Congo.
Nicknamed ''The Florist'' he served as manager of the Uganda national team from 28 December 2017 until 7 July ...
(January 2020 – February 2020)
*
Juan Carlos Garrido (February 2020 – September 2020)
*
Miguel Ángel Gamondi (September 2020 – November 2020)
*
Faouzi Benzarti (November 2020 - 31 August 2021)
*
Walid Regragui (10 August 2021 – 28 July 2022)
*
Hussein Ammouta (18 August 2022 – Present)
Presidents
* Mohamed Benjelloun ''(1937–42)''
* Abdelkader Benjelloun ''(1942–44)''
* Abdellatif Alami ''(1944–45)''
* Mohamed Belahssan Benjelloun ''(1945–48)''
* Abderrahmane Slaoui ''(1948–49)''
* Abderrahmane El-Khatib ''(1949–56)''
* Azzedine Benjelloun ''(1956–62)''
* Nacer Laraki ''(1962–63)''
* Hassan El-Joundi ''(1963–65)''
* Ahmed Lahrizi ''(1965–71)''
* Abderrazak Lahlou ''(1971–72)''
* Abderrazak Mekouar ''(1972–93)''
* Boubker Jdahim ''(1993–97)''
* Abdelmalik Sentissi ''(1997–99)''
* Nasserdine Doublali ''(1999–03)''
* Abdelilah El-Manjra ''(2003–05)''
* Taïb El-Fechtali ''(2005–07)''
* Abdelillah El-Akram ''(2007–2014)''
* Saïd Naciri ''(2014–)''
Notes
References
External links
Official club websiteNews websiteWydad websiteUltras website
{{Casablanca
Football clubs in Morocco
CAF Champions League winning clubs
African Cup Winners Cup winning clubs
CAF Super Cup winning clubs
Football clubs in Casablanca
Association football clubs established in 1937
Multi-sport clubs in Morocco
1937 establishments in Morocco
Sports clubs in Morocco
Basketball teams in Morocco