Wydad Athletic Club step up conditioning work with demanding forest session ahead of Doha camp

Wydad Athletic Club have intensified their mid-season build-up with a punishing physical workout in the Bouskoura forest, as head coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem pushes his squad to raise its athletic standards ahead of a January training camp in Doha.

The Casablanca side gathered early on Wednesday morning for the outdoor session, which Benhachem had designed specifically to focus on endurance and physical resilience.

The workout followed a difficult evening training the previous day at the club’s “Wellness” complex in Bouskoura, where players had worked through torrential rain.

Rather than easing off after the wet conditions, the coach opted to double the load by moving the next session into the forested area close to the club’s training base.

According to the technical staff, the aim of the forest drills was to target the players’ aerobic capacity, recovery speed and mental toughness.

The coaching team believe the group must show sharper physical consistency if Wydad are to be competitive in the second half of the campaign.

This renewed emphasis on conditioning comes in the aftermath of a disappointing friendly defeat against Hassania Agadir.

Wydad had gone into the break with a commanding two-goal cushion, both scored by Walid Nassi, but went on to lose the match 4-2.

The collapse after half-time has been viewed internally as a warning sign, prompting Benhachem to reassess the squad’s physical readiness and reaction levels.

While friendly matches are primarily used to test combinations and build rhythm, the coaching staff were particularly concerned by the team’s inability to sustain intensity over 90 minutes.

The Bouskoura forest session was therefore intended not only as a fitness drill but also as a response to that lapse, reinforcing the message that concentration and stamina must go hand in hand.

Wydad are now seeking to arrange another friendly in the coming days, hoping to immediately apply the lessons learned from the Hassania Agadir setback.

The next fixture is expected to provide the technical team with a clearer picture of how well the players are absorbing the renewed physical demands.

The Casablanca club’s preparation plan extends beyond local training, with a winter training camp already scheduled in Qatar.

Wydad will travel to Doha from January 4 to January 13, a period that will combine intensive training sessions with at least one friendly against a local side.

The camp is seen as a crucial phase in fine-tuning both physical conditioning and tactical cohesion before competitive action resumes.

Benhachem is keen to use the Doha stay to build a stronger collective spirit, while continuing to raise the team’s athletic baseline.

The change of environment is also expected to provide a psychological lift after a demanding domestic schedule and the frustrations of recent results.

With the second part of the season approaching rapidly, Wydad’s staff are leaving little to chance.

The double workload in Bouskoura, the search for immediate match practice and the carefully planned Qatari camp all underline a clear message: the club is determined to return sharper, stronger and better prepared to meet the challenges ahead.