The success of Walid Regragui at Wydad Casablanca made an impression. To the point that the board of the WAC entrusted the reins of the first team to a coach whose background and philosophy have similarities to the experience of the national team coach.
This is, implicitly, the meaning of the appointment of Mehdi Nafti at the head of the WAC, this Monday, January 2, 2023 for an indefinite period by the club. Nafti, second Tunisian coached Wydad Casablanca, after Faouzi Benzarti, in any case said “happy and proud to be at the head of the biggest club in Africa” on Twitter.
Happy and proud to be at the head of the @WACofficiel, the biggest club in Africa. Ready to accomplish all club goals ????⚪️
Excited and proud of coaching Wydad AC, the biggest club in Africa. Ready to achieve the highest goals this season #DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/ncEx9N0Nlk— Mehdi Nafti (@MehdiNafti12) January 2, 2023
The Franco-Tunisian coach takes over from Abdelilah Saber and Hassan Benabicha, interims after the departure of Houcine Ammouta. Brief but satisfactory in terms of results, the passage of the now U23 coach on the Wydad bench showed that in contemporary football, winning is no longer enough.
A participatory approach
The style of management and the sense of communication are just as decisive. The divisive personality of Houcine Ammouta had weighed in his dismissal and pushed the leaders of the WAC to favor a technician whose affiliation with Walid Regragui cannot be denied. Car lhe analogy between the two coaches is not only of a capillary nature.
At the management level, Nafti and Regragui share a participatory approach to their profession, where players are not only there to apply but also to propose. Add to this a mastery of new information and communication technologies, and you get modern coaches who adapt to the times and whose relationship is not new.
At the dawn of their first joint season under the Racing Santander jersey (2004), Nafti and Regragui had reached the height of their respective international careers, during the CAN 2004, won at home by the former at the expense of the latter in an epic final (2-1).
Of Tunisian father, Mehdi Nafti was born in Toulouse, in the southwest of France. He learned football there and had his napkin ring in the lower categories of the Blues, before opting for the Carthage Eagles (49 selections). Like the national coach, Nafti is strongly influenced by French and more broadly European football.
Particularly appreciated in England (Birmingham City) for his infallible commitment on the field, the defensive midfielder also walked on French lawns ( Toulouse FC), spanish (Racing de Santander, Real Valladolid), and Greek (Aris FC).
Mixed results
Launched in 2016, his coaching career, which took root in Spain, has so far not been very successful. Mehdi Nafti initially led the amateur club of Marbella FC (2016-2017), before climbing the ladder to reach the Spanish second division.
First by leading Leganes (2021-2022), then taking the queens of Levante (2022). This last experience was cut short. In three months and nine matches, the Franco-Tunisian from 44 ans only won twice for an average of 1.11 points per game. 14th in La Liga 2 (Second Division) in November 2022, he was logically dismissed after a defeat against Racing Santander, despite having an appealing style of play.
Follower of 4-2-3-1, Mehdi Nafti asks his teams to short throw from the keeper, trigger of an offensive animation where the side have a capital role, like the one printed at the time by Walid Regragui at Wydad. An affiliation that has the value of a compliment but also of additional pressure on the shoulders of Mehdi Nafti.
Because if his dream was to participate in a World Cup with his country, the Club World Cup will be his first challenge. The competition which will take place in Morocco, from Wednesday February 1 to Saturday February 11, will be particularly followed, surfing on the enthusiasm glimpsed during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mehdi Nafti is undoubtedly aware of the obligation of result that accompanies a position as exposed as that of coach of Wydad Casablanca. It will not be necessary to miss at the risk of seeing the first doubts and questions arise.
In the meantime, the priority is to raise the bar in the league, after the heavy defeat (3-0) you WAC (2e) against the FAR, leaders. First test, this Thursday, December 5 (20h30) in Botola (10th day), against the Chabab of Mohamedia, at the Mohammed V Complex in Casablanca.