Wydad secure first Botola win with 2-0 victory over Difaâ El Jadida

Wydad Athletic Club claimed their first victory of the new Botola Pro season with a 2-0 win away to Difaâ El Jadida at Stade El Abdi on Saturday.

Oussama Zemraoui gave the Casablanca side the lead in the first half before Congolese forward Silvère Ganvoula added a second after the break to secure three points for Paulo Sérgio’s team.

The victory provides an important response for Wydad after they began their campaign with a 3-1 home defeat by newly promoted Widad Témara on 26 September.

Zemraoui and Ganvoula settle the contest

Wydad took control of the match when Zemraoui broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, giving the visitors a narrow advantage at half-time.

Difaâ El Jadida struggled to create clear opportunities, while Wydad remained the more threatening side despite having less possession.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 59th minute when Ganvoula converted from Yahia Attiyat Allah’s assist, giving the Congolese striker his first league goal of the campaign.

Wydad finished with 11 shots, including five on target, compared with just three attempts and two efforts on target for the hosts.

The Casablanca club managed the game effectively after Ganvoula’s goal and preserved their two-goal lead until the final whistle.

Wydad recover from disappointing opening day

The result lifts Wydad onto three points from their opening two matches, having recorded one victory and one defeat.

For one of Morocco’s most prominent clubs, the win offers an early opportunity to build momentum following their unexpected home defeat by Widad Témara.

Difaâ El Jadida’s start to the campaign has been considerably more difficult.

They remain without a point after two matches, having suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat by COD Meknès before losing to Wydad.

The back-to-back defeats mean Difaâ have conceded eight goals in their opening two Botola matches, leaving them with an early challenge to improve defensively.

Wydad, meanwhile, will hope Saturday’s victory marks the beginning of a stronger run as they seek to challenge for honours in Morocco’s top flight.