Who are Wydad AC?

Wydad AC are one of four teams representing Africa at the 2025 Club World Cup and here you can read some key facts and stats about the Moroccan giants.

Where are Wydad AC from?

Wydad AC are from the Moroccan city of Casablanca and are one of the biggest clubs in Moroccan football.

History

The sports club to which Wydad are affiliated was formed in 1937 with a main focus on water polo, with the football section being started two years later.

They are one of just three teams who have never been relegated from the Moroccan top flight and they have been champions in the north African country on 22 occasions, the most recent of which was in 2022.

They have also been triumphant in the CAF Champions League on three occasions, winning the prestigious trophy in 1992, 2017 and 2022.

Nicknames

The club is referred to by one of four nicknames - the Club of the Nation, Club of the Resistance, The Red Castle and Dean of Clubs.

Their chief rivals are Raja, who hail from the same city of Casablanca, and AS FAR, the armed-services team who play out of the Moroccan capital Rabat.

Notable Players

There have been a host of top players who have turned out for Wydad AC over the years and there are plenty of current players who are capable of making an impression once the Club World Cup gets under way.

Current Players

Left winger Mohamed Rayhi should be a Wydad player to watch after he helped himself to 11 goals in the Moroccan top flight during the 2024/25 season.

Born in Eindhoven, he was unable to make the grade at PSV but appeared for both NEC and Sparta Rotterdam before spells in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

This has been his first season in Moroccan football and he will be looking to make a big impression in this summer’s tournament.

Nordin Amrabat will be a familiar face to those who follow Championship football in England as the veteran former Hull City and Watford midfielder has joined the club as a free agent.

The Moroccans will be hoping for big things from South African striker Cassius Mailula, who is currently on loan from Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC, while it is also worth keeping an eye on Jamal Harkass, who forms a key component in the heart of the defence and captains the side.

Former Players

Among the former players of note are striker Ayoub El-Kaabi, who is one of the best Moroccan players to have featured for Wydad in recent years.

The centre forward was only at Wydad for a short while but he was the top goalscorer in the Botola in the 2020/21 season with 18 goals for the Casablanca outfit.

He left to play in Turkey for Hatayspor and is now a firm favourite at Olympiakos in Greece, having scored 14 goals in 40 international appearances for Morocco.

Zouhair El Moutaraji is regarded as a hero having scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Egyptian side Al Ahly on the last occasion Wydad celebrated a CAF Champions League success in 2022.

Meanwhile, while goalkeeper Bono made just 10 appearances after making his debut for the club as a teenager, there is little doubt that he has gone on to greater things, playing for Real Zaragoza, Girona and Sevilla in La Liga having originally moved to Spain to feature for Atletico Madrid.

He helped Morocco reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, saving two penalties in a last-16 shootout win over Spain, and he now plays his football for AL Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

How did Wydad AC qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup?

Wydad are one of four African teams in the Club World Cup after booking their place by being crowned CAF Champions League winners in 2022.

Wydad AC Club World Cup group

Wydad will be in Group G alongside Manchester City, Juventus and UAE side Al Ain.

Their first two games against Pep Guardiola’s side and the Serie A giants will be staged at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with the Citizens faced on Wednesday 18th June and the Old Lady on Sunday 22nd June.

Al Ain will provide the opposition on Thursday 26th June in a game staged at Audi Field in Washington.