Wydad Athletic achieved a valuable victory in the Wydad-Raja derby on Saturday evening, defeating its traditional rival Raja by a single goal (0-1) in the match held at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca, as part of the twentieth round of the professional league.
The first half saw caution from both teams, with a moderate pace and a lack of dangerous chances in the early minutes. As time passed, Raja began to assert its offensive presence, supported by several attempts, the most prominent being a shot from Ismail Muqaddam saved by the outstanding goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid, in addition to a free kick by Mohammed Abourzq “Sharara” that went close to the right post.
On the other hand, Wydad relied on quick counterattacks and succeeded in opening the scoring in the 39th minute through player Joseph Bakasso, ending the first half with the red team leading by a narrow margin.
In the second half, Raja intensified its pressure in search of an equalizer, with continuous attempts to reach Wydad’s goal. However, Wydad’s defense remained resilient and well-organized against all attempts, with notable brilliance from goalkeeper Benabid who saved multiple dangerous shots from Raja players.
With this result, Raja remains top of the standings with 39 points, while Wydad increased its tally to 37 points, climbing to fourth place and getting closer to the league lead.
This derby win is considered a strong moral boost for the team to continue competing for the title.
