Rabat – King Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory message to Casablanca’s Wydad football team (WAC) after they defeated their Egyptian opponent, Al Ahly, to lift the African Champions League trophy in the final game, on November 4 in Casablanca.
The King expressed his congratulations to the team’s members and to the general public for the well-deserved win, wishing them further sporting achievements.
The sovereign also congratulated the entire Wydad club staff, players, coach, and managers as well as the technical, administrative, and medical staff for their outstanding contribution to the African title, through which he said “the players showed great fighting spirit and a high level of performance.”
The King did not forget to express commendation for the team’s fans in his message. He praised Wydad’s fans for encouraging their squad throughout the competition with enthusiasm and respect for the opposing teams, which makes the club and the public the “best representatives” of the radiant image of Moroccan football.
Wydad fans played a huge role during the African Champions League’s second leg, singing football chants to encourage their team, who in turn, did not disappoint their supporters.
The Mohammed V stadium was completely filled with fans, the majority of whom were wearing Wydad’s jerseys and waving both the Moroccan and Wydad flags.
The King also expressed his conviction that the continental victory won by Wydad Casablanca is a strong stepping stone for the club, as well as for all Moroccan teams, to redouble efforts to win more titles and hoist the Moroccan flag high.
While reiterating his congratulations on this remarkable achievement, the king wished Wydad every success in order to claim further continental and world titles.
Through this win, Wydad of Casablanca have gained their second CAF Champions League title after a great performance against Al Ahly, the holder of eight CAF Champions League titles.
After the game, fans took to streets across Morocco to express their happiness over the 1-0 win. Wydad fans were not the only people who celebrated the team’s win, but also other local teams fans, including Casablanca’s Raja football club fans.
The defeat was a bitter pilL to swallow for Al Ahly, who blamed the game’s referees for their loss. In an interview with the Egyptian channel ONn Sport, the Tteam’s coach Hossam Al Badry, said that the game’s referees “[were] the ones who decided the results of African Championships. We saw this tonight.”
In what some saw as an unprofessional behavior, Al Badry left the press room amid the indignation of Moroccan journalists.
Al Ahly’s footballers showed their discontent before leaving forto home. As soon as the match ended, Egyptian players appearedwere unsatisfied and refused to let the medals givers to put them around their necks.
Emad Meteb, one of the Egyptian players, jumped in front of the camera, while the referees were getting ready to take a picture, making. The player made a zero hand gestures to express his unhappiness withdiscontent of the referees.
