CAF Champions League: Wydad look to make more history in second leg against Al Ahly

The second leg of the CAF Champions League final has several things at stake for Wydad. The Red and Whites, who drew level with Raja in this competition last season by winning their third star, can now overtake their eternal rivals. Standing in their way is the giant that is Al Ahly, the most successful club in the competition and in Africa. The stakes are high for WAC, who are still in the hunt for a historic treble. But this tie is far from a stroll in the park against an Egyptian side capable of foiling every plan their opponents come up with. With a goal scored in the closing minutes of the first leg by Seifeddine Bouhra, Wydad hold all the cards to retain their title.

"The grinta won't change"

"It's an important match, particularly for Wydad, because it's the biggest title a club can win in Africa. We came back from Egypt with a 2-1 scoreline and that still gives us a lot of hope with that goal we scored," said Sven Vandenbrouck on Saturday at the pre-match press conference, alongside his captain Yahya Jabrane. "Preparations went well in Rabat, away from any pressure. We can hope for good things tomorrow," the Belgian coach said.

"As a coach, I make choices based on the characteristics of the players in my team and on the opponent. Tomorrow, everything will be different because we're playing at home and in front of our supporters, and some things may change, but the 'grinta' won't change," said Vandenbrouck. For the Red and Whites coach, "the secret of the group is the players themselves. I can offer advice, but it's the players who create this atmosphere, and the secret is the group's mentality."

Two records to chase

Morocco's most successful club can add to its history this Sunday. The Wydad captain, Yahya Jabrane, is hoping for victory in the final to set a new record in the CAF Champions League. "We will strive to win so we can go down in history as the first Moroccan team to win the continental title twice in a row," he said.

Among the supporters, all they want is another title to celebrate wildly. The fans hope their club will become the most successful Moroccan side in the competition, overtaking Raja, who for a long time held that advantage over their historic rivals. "For me, Wydad will win 2-0, because it will be at home with a crowd that will push the team on. Despite the first leg being a non-contest for a good part of the match, the return promises to be a good one, because the players will want to keep the trophy in Morocco", said Abdelali Amar, who works in communications.

Mohcine S. is more wary. "It will be another very difficult match, like the first leg. It will be evenly balanced, I'd say 50-50. But anything is possible with this Wydad side." Wydad will, however, have to do without their 2022 final hero Zouhair Moutaraji, who is out because he has still not recovered from an injury. Young midfielder Abdellah Haimoud is also expected to miss the final.

Al Ahly, "used to handling these situations"

While confidence is high among the Casablanca side, Al Ahly nonetheless inspire plenty of caution. The Egyptian club know how to handle these occasions, and above all the pressure of Casablanca's Mohammed V Complex. "We are fully ready for this match. The first-leg win puts the pressure on the Wydad players, who have to win," said Egyptian club coach Marcel Koller, adding that the goal conceded in the final minutes of the match had changed nothing.

Read also: CAF Champions League final: Koller v Vandenbroeck, a battle of tacticians

"The goal we conceded in the 86th minute was, admittedly, hard to swallow. But I spoke with the players and we worked a lot on the mental side," he continued. "Our players are used to playing in front of thousands of supporters and have what it takes to come through situations like this," he said, noting that the crowd will certainly be a big support for Wydad but will in no way affect the outcome of the match.

Wydad and Al Ahly will meet in a final for the 3rd time after 2017 and 2022, both won by the Moroccans. The Egyptians, for their part, are chasing an eleventh trophy in the competition.

Mohamed Hadji