Despite their loss against MC Alger, Raja of Casablanca secured a place in the semi-finals.
Rabat – Raja Club Athletic (RCA) of Casablanca, qualified for the semi-final of the Arab Club Champions Cup.
The Moroccan club, one of the leading squads of the Moroccan league, secured a place for the semi-final of the competition despite their recent loss against MC Alger on Sunday, February 9.
MC Alger won 1-0 against RCA at Casablanca’s Mohammed V stadium.
However, the Moroccan team guaranteed its semi-final place, after scoring 2-1 in the first leg of the qualifying matches against MC Alger on the Algerian team’s home turf.
RCA will now face Egyptian team Ismaily Sporting Club, away on February 16. The second leg will take place in Casablanca on March 15.
RCA’s head coach, Jamal Sellami said in a post-match conference that his squad’s loss was due to “a lack of focus” during the second half of the game.
The coach vowed that his team will make up for the loss in its upcoming games.
The MC Alger players congratulated Raja on their qualification and shared hopes for success in the next round of the tournament.
The 29th Arab Club Champions Cup 2019/2020 started in August.
The final is set to take place on April 18, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Last year’s winning team, Tunisia’s ES Sahel, was disqualified from the tournament in the first round of the 2019 competition.
Since its foundation in 1981 by the Union of Arab Football Associations, the tournament gathers 38 teams from across the Arab world every year.
The competition pays tribute each year to an Arab leader. This year’s tournament is dedicated to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, who celebrated 20 years on the throne in 2019.