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Wydad Athletic Club

Full name	Wydad Athletic Club
Nickname(s)	The Emperor Wydad of Nation Wydad of Resistance
Short name	WAC
Founded	8 May 1937; 81 years ago (8 May 1937)
Ground	Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco
Capacity	67,000
President	Said Naciri
Head Coach	René Girard
League	Botola IAM Pro
2017–18	2nd
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Wydad Athletic Club (Arabic: نادي الوداد الرياضي‎, Arabic pronunciation: [naːdiː‿l.wydaːd arːiyːadˤiː]), commonly known as WAC, also called Wydad Al Omma is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca, Morocco, best known for its football team.

Wydad have won the Morocco league title a record 19 times, 9 Moroccan Throne Cups, 7 Moroccan Super Cups, 5 Chaouia Leagues, Chaouia cup in 1947 and the Independence Cup in 1956. In continental competitions they have won the CAF Champions League twice. CAF Cup Winners, Afro-Asian Club Championship, Arab Champions League, Arab Super Cup, and North African Cup, as well as winning the North African Championship and North African Super Cup three times.

History[edit]

The first section of the Wydad Athletic Club ("WAC") to be created was the swimming section on May 8, 1937. The members of the first management committee of Wydad Casablanca team was Haj Mohamed Benjelloun (President), Maitre Mohamed Zarouk, Mohamed Ben Lahsan, Haj Mohamed Ben Mohamed Ben Lahsan Benjelloun, Ralph Botbol, Charles Benchetrit, Bienvenu, Lucien Bilikrinieu, Pierre André, Boravel, and Croné Vivirel.

Other sections where created for the Casablanca team as time went by, such as tennis in 1938 and football, created by Haj Tounsi alias Père Jégo in 1939. Today, there are a total of fourteen sections, including Basketball, Handball, Boxing, Wrestling, Cycling, Badminton, Track and field, Waterpolo, and Hockey.

There are several versions of the story of the origin of the club's name, but the version found in Ahmed Lahrizi's book Wydad Volume 1 is the most widespread and the most plausible. According to the book, 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 Oum Kaltoum, Wydad (in Arabic, "Wydad" means "Love"). This incident inspired the founders to give the name to the club.

Before independence (1935–1955)[edit]

Creation and early Wydad (1937–1940)[edit]

Wydad in 1939-40 season

The creation of Wydad was very difficult at the time. Indeed, the context was marked by the French protectorate of Morocco. The origin of its creation is synonymous with the club omnisport indeed because during this time the port of Casablanca was surrounded by swimming pools and access to it should be part of a club, but clubs were all directed by settlers. From the 1935–36 season, several Moroccan Muslims and Jews were able to enjoy the swimming pools of the city registering well on its clubs. But when the number of Muslims grew rapidly worried that the French authorities sent him the natives clubs. It was after this came the idea of creating a club for Moroccans. But it was not easy because after several requests to the French authorities for the creation of the club, whenever requests were unanswered, future presidents Wydad decided to contact the Franco-Moroccan and this is where the General Nogues personally intervened to allow the creation of Wydad. Thus was created the Wydad Athletic Club on the 8th of May 1937. The name Wydad is unknown to this day, in fact many historians bring their explanations, but the historian Ahmed Lahrizi, author of the epic Wydad is the best known is widespread as this, when the first meeting of the first committee of Wydad, a person wanting to call, Mohamed Benjelloun who arrived late because he watched the last film of the great singer Arab Oum Kalthoum entitled Wydad (Love) and thus the first Moroccan club history was called Wydad Athletic Club. The first section of the club was that of water-polo and after a proposal by the first President, Mohamed Benjelloun, it was decided to set up several other sections and this is through this initiative that the football section Wydad was created in 1939.
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.

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,

Promotion and Honour Division d'Honneur (1941–1947)[edit]

Wydad in 1941-42 season

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.

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.

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)[edit]

Wydad Casablanca in 1955

It will took more than nine years for Wydad can finally win his first championship first division. In a group of eight clubs, Wydad played fourteen matches and won six, lost two and drawn six transfers. He scored a total of over 0 goals.Moroccan Iyad El Baz helped win Wydad's first ever trophy.
. During the same season Wydad participates in the North African championship football championship with the title won and even managed to win by beating the US Athletic score of 4–2. Wydad will also participate in the African Cup of Northern football season 1948–49 is a competition organized by the Union of North African league football that it is made up of five leagues is that of the Morocco, Tunisia, Algiers, Oran and Constantine. The competition began for Wydad in the knockout final against Red Star of Algiers. The match ended in a victory for Wydad Casablanca score of 3–1. Then, in the quarter-finals, he must face the USM Bone or he managed to climb in the semifinals 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 Casablanca 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 he 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, he 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. So he 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 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. It also managed not to win the championship of North Africa that it was under the control of Wydad three seasons.

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-present)[edit]

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Wydad in 2010–11 season

Wydad Casablanca were crowned champions of Africa after defeating Egyptian giants Al Ahly 2–1 on aggregate in the 2017 CAF Champions League final.

In January 2018, the team sacked their coach Hussein Amotta, after a poor first half of the season.^[1] "We respect the coach but we are all working for Wydad and so that's why we took the decision to end Hussein Amotta's contract and we wish him all the best," the club said in a statement.

Supporters[edit]

The northern part of the Stade Mohammed V is occupied by the supporters of Wydad Athletic Club, we distinguish mainly three types of supporters: the members of the supporters' associations, the Ultras members and the independents who do not belong to any group of supporters.

Supporters of Wydad Casablanca in Stade Mohammed V

Honours[edit]

National Competitions[edit]

• Botola

• 
  Champion (19): 1948، 1949، 1950، 1951، 1954، 1957، 1966، 1969، 1976، 1977، 1978، 1986، 1990، 1991، 1993 ، 2006 ، 2010 ، 2015 ،2017.


• 
  Runner-up (13) : 1943, 1946, 1958, 1959, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2016, 2018 .

• Moroccan Throne Cup

• 
  Winner (9): 1970, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001

• Moroccan Super Cup

• 
  Winner (7) : 1940, 1946, 1949, 1966, 1969, 1998, 2002

International Competitions[edit]

• CAF Champions League

• 
  Winner (2): 1992, 2017

Runner-up (1): 2011

• CAF Cup Winners' Cup

• 
  Winner (1): 2002

• Afro-Asian Club Championship

• 
  Winner (1): 1993

• CAF Super Cup

• 
  Winner (1): 2018

Runner-up (2): 1992, 2003

• Arab Champions League

• 
  Winner (1): 1989

Runner-up (2): 2008, 2009

• Arab Super Cup

• 
  Winner (1): 1992

• North African Championship

• 
  Winners (3): 1948, 1949, 1950

Runner-up (1): 1955

• North African Cup

• 
  Winner (1): 1949

Runner-up (2): 1950, 1951

• North African Super Cup

• 
  Winner (3): 1949, 1950, 1951

• CAF Cup

Runner-up (1): 1999

Friendly Competitions[edit]

• Ahmed Antifit Tournament

• 
  Winner (9): 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2017

Runner-up (2) : 2008, 2011

• Tabouk International Cup

• 
  Winner(1): 2016

• Mohammed V Trophy

• 
  Winner (1): 1979

Direction[edit]

Recent performance in CAF competitions[edit]

• CAF Champions League: 9 appearances

1987 – Second Round

1991 – Quarter-finals

1992 – Champion

1993 – Second Round

1994 – Second Round

2007 – Second Round

2011 – Runner-up

2016 – Semi-finals

2017 – Champion

2018 – Quarter final

• CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 3 appearances

1998 – Semi-finals

2002 – Champion

2003 – Semi-finals

• CAF Confederation Cup: 4 appearances

2004 – Second Round of 16

2007 – Second Round of 16

2012 – Group stage

2013 – Second round

• CAF Cup: 3 appearances

1999 – Runner-up

2000 – Second Round

2001 – Quarter-finals

Current squad[edit]

As of 15 May 2018^[2]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Yassine El Kharroubi 2 MF Anas El Asbahi 3 DF Achraf Dari 4 MF Salaheddine Saidi (2nd captain) 5 FW Zouhair El Moutaraji 6 MF Brahim Nekkach (1st captain) 7 FW Mohamed Ounajem 8 DF Badr Gaddarine 10 MF Michael Babatunde 11 MF Ismail Haddad 12 GK Badreddine Benachour 14 MF Faycal Haddadi 15 DF Abdelhamid El Kaoutari 16 DF Naïm Aarab 17 MF Badie Aouk 18 MF Walid El Karti 19 MF Amin Tighazoui

No. Position Player 20 FW Ayman El Hassouni 21 MF Rachid Housni 23 FW William Jebor 24 MF Jamel Aït Ben Idir 25 MF Gabriel Okechukwu 26 GK Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti 27 DF Zakaria El Hachimi 28 DF Abdelatif Noussir 29 DF Cheick Comara 30 DF Mohamed Nahiri - DF Mohammed ouattara - DF Ayoub El Amloud - DF Ibrahim El Baz - DF Mouhcine Mouhtadi

On loan[edit]

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

No. Position Player Mehdi Daghogi (MAS) -- DF Hamza Wasti (Racing Casablanca)

No. Position Player -- MF Youssef Shouyekh (Racing Casablanca) Mouhcine Mouhtadi

Loan Deals Expired 30 June 2017.

Famous players[edit]

This list of "famous" or "notable" persons has no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help to define clear inclusion criteria and edit the list to contain only subjects that fit those criteria. (May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Gallery[edit]

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Tariq Jarmouni
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Nadir Lamyaghri
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Badou Zaki
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Badr El Kaddouri
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Kamel Chafni
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  yassine bounou
  

  
  

  
  

Managers[edit]

Presidents[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• 
  (in Arabic)/(in French) Official club website
  


• 
  (in French) News website
  


• 
  (in French) Wydad website
  


• 
  (in French) Ultras website