Published on : 30/05/2022 – 22:58Modified : 31/05/2022 – 00:07
Carried by an incandescent public, Wydad Casablanca deprived Al-Ahly of a third African Champions League in a row on Monday, winning two goals to nil against uninspired Egyptians. Hero of the match, Moroccan international Zouheir El-Moutaraji, who scored twice, scored one of the finest goals of the year in this final.
Wydad Casablanca is he the black beast of Al-Ahly? After beating the Egyptian club in 2017, the Moroccans again played a bad trick on the double defending champion and titan of African football, on Monday (May 30th), by winning two goals to nil in the Champions League final of Africa, at the Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca.
Favorite of the meeting, the Cairo club nevertheless confiscates the ball at the start of the meeting. But his attempts to alert the South African striker, Percy Tau, delight the Moroccan defense which rakes the balloons and proceeds against. After a few minutes of play, the Congolese Guy Mbenza is also not far from opening the score for Wydad on a heavy strike pushed back by the crossbar.
In this first quarter of an hour, the two teams avoid giving themselves up too much. The players lack technical accuracy and a false rhythm sets in. Visibly tired of this dragging round of observation, a man in white decides to move up a gear. Fourteenth minute of play: Zouheir El-Moutaraji recovers a ball in midfield then unleashes a stratospheric shot from 35 meters. The excellent Egyptian international and goalkeeper of the Pharaohs, Mohamed El-Shenawy, saw nothing coming. The ball has already lodged in the skylight.
Entirely in the colors of Wydad Casablanca, a packed Mohammed V stadium (52,000 seats), exults after this goal from another world. As for the 5,000 Egyptian supporters who made the trip, they have a hard time making themselves heard.
Stung by this early opening of the score, the players of Pitso Mosimane try to take things in hand by putting their foot on the ball. Despite 67% possession of the ball, Al-Ahly struggles to be dangerous. The Egyptians then rely on set pieces but without managing to find the frame.
El-Moutaraji doubles the bet
Back from the locker room, the Egyptians attack the second period as they finished the first. Uninspired. On the contrary, the players of Walid Regragui are emboldened. The pressing is effective, the forward projection quick.
In the middle, Yahya Jabrane, the captain of Wydad, behaves like a boss. It is he who, on an overflow on the right side, serves the inevitable El-Moutaraji at the far post who has come ahead of Mohamed Hany to regain the ball, first stopped by El-Shenawy then propelled into the empty net by the man in the match.
Unable to turn the tide, the Eagles try long shots, especially with Magdy Afsha but Tagnaouti, the goalkeeper of “Casa” remains vigilant until the end of the meeting, as on this exit in front of Percy Tau, very unfortunate during this final .
All that’s left is to let the clock run for Wydad Casablanca, which manages its lead with serenity. For his part, Al-Ahly sees the hope of a historic treble go up in smoke.
With this victory, Wydad wins the third C1 in its history and could even further expand its trophy cabinet this season. Leaders of the Moroccan elite, WAC players also have an appointment with Raja Casablanca, their great rival, in the quarter-finals of the Throne Cup.