Football - When data redesigns recruitment: Wydad Casablanca, a pioneer in Africa

African football, land of passion and intuition, is at the dawn of a silent revolution. At the heart of this transformation, the Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca is shaking up the codes. Finished the era where the only flair of a recruiter dictated transfers. Today, the Moroccan club asserts itself as a continental pioneer by establishing data analysis as a fundamental pillar of its player acquisition strategy.

The shift is strategic, as explained by Youssef Debbagh, the Managing Director:

“Recruitment is no longer about 'discovering” talent. It is now about de-risking decisions, validating profiles and ensuring that each signature is perfectly aligned with our game model and performance standards.”

Wydad no longer seeks only to attract stars, but to optimize the compatibility and durability of its choices.

 The optimization of choices, a new paradigm

To achieve this ambition, the club has adopted a cutting-edge technological arsenal, usually reserved for European players. By relying on specialized platforms, the WAC systematizes the evaluation of players, in an attempt to transform market uncertainty into statistical certainty.

The recent integration of TransferRoom, for example, only confirms this orientation. Wydad became the first Moroccan club to join this global network, offering direct access to market intelligence to speed up and ensure reliable negotiations. The message is clear: human expertise is now armed by the power of numbers.

Data in action

So, how does this new doctrine translate into the reality of transfers? Recent recruits illustrate the effectiveness of this surgical approach. The arrival of midfielder Walid Sabbar was an opportunity to validate a crucial tactical chemistry. By exploiting the data of Hudl Statsbomb, the analysis team was able to dissect his game profile. It was not a matter of judging its individual quality alone, but of measuring its adequacy with the rest of the workforce. The numbers confirmed a strong complementarity with his teammate Lamirat, offering a guarantee that the player would not be a mere addition, but a centerpiece fitting perfectly into the tactical puzzle.

For players coming from less mediatized contexts, the evaluation of the physical level is paramount. This is where SkillCorner comes in. Thanks to video tracking technology, Wydad was able to analyze the physical outputs and game intelligence of Josep Bakasu based on his performances in the CAF Champions League with Maniema Union. This objective analysis made it possible to ensure that the Congolese possessed the ability to evolve in an intense and high-speed environment, eliminating any risk of underperformance.

But optimization does not only concern the player’s profile. It also affects the efficiency of the process. The use of TransferRoom allowed instant access to reliable market information, essential for quick decision-making. This fluidity was decisive in the signing of Mohamed Bouchouari, in the last hours of the summer transfer market, allowing the WAC to identify and conclude the arrival of a profile precisely matching his needs, at the best moment.

Towards a competitive advantage?

The final message from the General Manager of Wydad resonates as an affirmation of this new era: «Data does not replace footballing expertise. It strengthens her.”

By investing in data analysis, Wydad Casablanca does not only improve its recruitments; it aims to acquire a sustainable competitive advantage and lays the foundation for a club capable of competing with the best, not only on the field, but also in the sophistication of its strategic choices. African football has entered the era of sports engineering, and the WAC is spearheading it.