HOOLIGAN SOCCER

Club World Cup Wydad AC Group G

Club World Cup Preview: Wydad AC

Above: A proud supporter of Wydad AC.

The Qooligan

The twenty-eighth in our continuing series highlighting all thirty-two clubs in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, and the last of Group G. The event starts on Saturday, June 14th.

Club Background

  • From: Casablanca, Morocco
  • How They Qualified:
    • They were the CAF Champions League 2022 winners.
  • Best CWC Finish:
    • This is their third trip.
    • They have finished sixth (2017) and fifth (2022).
  • Recent Form:
    • Finished the Moroccan Botola Pro League in third place on a five game unbeaten run.
    • They did not qualify for this year’s CAF Champions League.
  • Facts: 
    • The team is 71% Moroccan.
    • They are the most successful Moroccan team domestically with the greatest number of title wins.
    • Their supporters group Ultra Winners 2005 are renowned for their passion and geographic dispersity.
    • Played the second fewest competitive games since August 2024 (40 – tied the CF Pachuca).

The Team

  • Manager: Mohamed Amine Benhachem
    • Replaced South African coach Rhulani Mokwena in May 2025.
    • He’s a local guy (born in Casablanca) whose previous gig was with Renaissance Zemamra.
  • Star Players:
    • Hamza Hannouri
      • Moroccan forward. 8g/2a.
    • Mohamed Rayhi
      • Dutch (of Moroccan descent) winger. Leads the team with 11g.
    • Cassius Mailula
      • South African striker. 5g/7a.
  • Young Players:
    • They have a trio of young Brazilians who joined the squad in the past few months that could make an impact: Renan (22, forward), Arthur Wenderroscky (21) and Pedrinho (20) – both midfielders
  • Training Sites:
    • Landon School, Bethesda, Maryland

When to Watch

  • 12:00pm ET on Jun 18, 2025 vs. Manchester City @ Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  • 12:00pm ET on Jun 22, 2025 vs. Juventus @ Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  • 3:00pm ET on Jun 26, 2025 vs. Al Ain @ Audi Field, Washington DC

The Hooligan Take

Wydad AC is a true dark horse of the tournament. Very few will have heard of them, outside of their surprisingly large and well-organized supporters group, the Ultra Winners 2005. They are four-time winners of the coveted Best Ultra Squad in the World award. This should bode for a raucous atmosphere at any of their three group games. And it will probably be three, as this die is unlikely to topple giants Manchester City or Juventus.

Other Group G Teams

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