Wydad Athletic Club have reportedly decided on the future of their South African coach, Rulani Mokwena, terminating his contract less than a year after his appointment.
This decision comes in the wake of a string of poor results, with the club facing a trophyless season and sitting third in the domestic league.
Mokwena's stint in Morocco was short-lived but eventful.
Having taken over from interim coach Aziz Ben Askar on August 30, 2024, Mokwena was brought in to restore the club’s glory. However, his time at the helm was marked by inconsistency, particularly in the Botola Pro League.
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Wydad collected 45 points from 27 league games under Mokwena, registering 11 wins, 12 draws and four defeats. While the team was relatively difficult to beat, their inability to convert draws into wins proved costly.
Notably, the club failed to win any of their last five matches, effectively ending their hopes of a second-placed finish—one of the primary objectives reportedly set by the club’s hierarchy.
The final nail in the coffin appears to have been their 1-1 draw with Olympique d'Asfi on April 23, 2025. It followed another underwhelming 1-1 result in the Casablanca Derby against Raja. These results saw Wydad fall behind RS Berkane, who went on to secure the league title for the first time in their history.
Mokwena’s results in cup competitions did little to help his case.
In the Throne Cup, Wydad bowed out in the round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to Moghreb Tétouan, having beaten FUS Rabat 1-0 in the previous round. In the Excellence Cup, Wydad posted two wins, two draws and two defeats in six matches, falling short of expectations.
According to Radio Mars, Mokwena and Wydad reached an amicable agreement to part ways, despite the South African coach having a contract that was initially set to run until the summer of 2026.
While Mokwena brought modern methods and structure to Wydad, the results on the pitch ultimately dictated his fate. His tenure yielded a mixed bag—an improved league position compared to the previous season, but no silverware and fading momentum when it mattered most.
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