Achraf Bencharki has opened up about the key moments that have shaped his career. The Moroccan international, now playing for Al Ahly, says his CAF Champions League win with Wydad Casablanca was the most important title of his life.
The 30-year-old played a big part in that historic final, scoring in the first leg in Cairo against Al Ahly before providing an assist in the second leg in Casablanca after some sleek dribbling and a pinpoint cross to Walid El Karti, who headed it home – handing Wydad a 2-1 victory on aggregate.
“The 2017 Champions League with Wydad was my first African title, and it was one of the main reasons my name started to stand out. It opened doors for me in my professional career,” Bencharki told the Al Ahly Castle Podcast this week.
That title was the turning point and a springboard for Bencherki that paved the way for his moves to top clubs across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
Bencherki signed for Wydad in 2016 and helped them win both the Botola Pro league and the CAF Champions League in 2017. But after that success, his career took off.
He played for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, France’s RC Lens, Egypt’s Zamalek, the UAE’s Al Jazira, Qatar’s Al Rayyan, and now plays for Al Ahly – the biggest and most successful club in Africa.
Bencharki also spoke about his negotiations with Al Ahly, which first began back in 2016.
“There was talk about my transfer to Al Ahly in 2016, but I don’t know what happened afterward. I was just 22 and didn’t really understand the role of an agent. All I cared about was playing football,” he said.
Last week, Al Ahly hosted arch-rival Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. Bencherki started the game on the bench and was brought on in the 60th minute. Twelve minutes later, Bencherki scored the first goal of the game but refused to celebrate against his old club.
“The Zamalek fans who see me outside the field still tell me they love me, even though I moved to Al Ahly. I can’t just lose that love,” he said.
