Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca have parted ways with South African head coach Rulani Mokwena, a few weeks before the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America.
Sports Talk United confirmed that the decision was made on Wednesday, April 23 after Wydad Casablanca ended the Moroccan Botola Pro season with a 1-1 draw against Olympic Safi.
The decision brought an end to Mokwena’s brief stint in Casablanca following his appointment in July 2024 as Wydad finish third in the league table – qualification spot for CAF Confederation Cup next season.
Summary of Mokwena’s stint at Wydad
This season, Wydad Casablanca failed to play continental football neither CAF Champions League nor Confederation Cup for the first time in a decade and the South African arrived with lots of expectations.
Under Mokwena’s watch, Wydad managed 11 wins, 12 draws (the most by any team in the Moroccan top-flight) and four losses in 27 league matches.
However, things did not end well between the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach and his Moroccan employers amid reports of unpaid salaries for eight months and a run of poor results as RSB Berkane won the league title.
What’s next for Wydad Casablanca
Following the abrupt dismissal of the Mokwena and his backroom staff, Wydad Casablanca will now hope to get a new head coach to begin preparations for the FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the United States of America.
The Moroccan giants are one of the four African teams that will compete in the newly-expanded tournament. They will face Manchester City on June 18, then Juvenus on June 22 and Asian heavyweights Al Ain on June 26.
