Wydad Casablanca is expected to appoint Mohamed Amine Benhachem as head coach on a two-year contract, solidifying his position after serving in an interim capacity.
Benhachem stepped in mid-season following the departure of Rulani Mokwena and successfully led the team to a CAF Confederation Cup qualification spot despite a turbulent campaign.
His first major test as full-time head coach will come at the FIFA Club World Cup, set to be held in the United States next month.
Club president Hicham Ait Mena played a pivotal role in persuading Benhachem to leave his role as sporting director and assume the technical leadership of the first team. The agreement is expected to be formalised in an official signing ceremony in the coming days.
Following the agreement, Benhachem wasted no time reshaping his backroom staff. He relieved Youssef Achami of his assistant coaching duties and appointed Abdel Samad Al-Ward, his former teammate at RS Berkane, as his new assistant.
He also requested the inclusion of former Wydad stars Zouhair Laroubi and Ibrahim Al-Naqqash in the technical team, along with the addition of Abdeljabbar Al-Mutaqi, former fitness coach of Raja Casablanca, who will oversee physical training.
These appointments were reportedly part of Benhachem’s conditions for accepting the role, as he aims to build a cohesive and effective technical unit to launch a new era at the club, nicknamed the “Red Castle.”
Meanwhile, Wydad faces a tough group in the upcoming Club World Cup, having been drawn alongside European champions Manchester City, Italian giants Juventus, and UAE’s Al Ain in Group G.
