Wydad Casablanca will enter the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a unique advantage—a dedicated referee travelling with the team.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has approved a special request from the club’s head coach, Mohamed Amine Benhachem, allowing retired international referee Ismail El Fateh to accompany the squad to the United States, where the tournament kicks off this weekend.
El Fateh’s role will be to advise players on refereeing rules and ensure they avoid past mistakes that led to controversial expulsions of players Ibrahim Al-Naqqash and Yahya Jabran in previous competitions.
The Moroccan Federation recruited El Fateh, who has been based in the United States, to help reform and strengthen refereeing standards in Morocco.
His appointment comes after widespread concerns about refereeing errors affecting league match outcomes, an issue even acknowledged by the president of the Professional League.
Born in Casablanca on March 3, 1982, El Fateh is a seasoned international referee of Moroccan descent. He has officiated in major tournaments including the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
