CASABLANCA: Zouhair El Moutaraji was the two-goal star as Wydad Casablanca defeated Egyptian outfit Al Ahly 2-0 on Monday to win the CAF Champions League and complete a Moroccan club double in Africa this season.
Renaissance Berkane won the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup on May 20 and will face Wydad for the CAF Super Cup.
Wydad coach Walid Regragui promoted El Moutaraji from the bench for the title decider and it proved a masterstroke as he netted after 15 and 48 minutes in Casablanca.
It was the third time Wydad have conquered Africa, winning in 1992 and 2017, and the second triumph also came against Ahly.
Ahly, seeking a record third straight title, had plenty of possession but were undone by the clinical finishing of the Moroccans.
It was also a disappointing outcome for South Africa-born Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane, who had hoped to become the first coach to win the premier African club competition three consecutive times.
Both Wydad and Ahly showed one change to the sides that drew semifinal second legs against Petro Luanda of Angola and Entente Setif of Algeria respectively to reach the final.
France-born Regragui preferred El Moutaraji to Badie Aouk in midfield, with the latter among the nine substitutes.
A groin injury ruled out Ahly center-back Mohamed Abdelmonem and Mosimane promoted another Egyptian international, experienced Ayman Ashraf.
Close to 40,000 singing, dancing, cheering, flag-waving Wydad supporters greeted the teams as they entered the pitch, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those looking on.
Ahly were allocated 10,000 tickets, but only a couple of thousand supporters flew across the north of the continent to attend the highlight of the African club season.
The Stade Mohammed V — home ground of Wydad — was a controversial choice of venue with Ahly making a failed appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have it changed to a neutral one.
Morocco were the lone bidders to host the final after Senegal withdrew, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the rules did not permit a change.
Wydad attacked from the kick-off and after rattling the woodwork, went ahead in the 15th minute as El Moutaraji justified his promotion.
Earlier, Congo Brazzaville-born Guy Mbenza was foiled by the crossbar after his shot from just outside the box beat Ahly captain and goalkeeper Mohamed el Shenawy.
But the Moroccans went ahead four minutes later as El Moutaraji unleashed a swerving thunderbolt from outside the penalty area which flew over El Shenawy and into the net.
Ahly clawed their way back into the match and came close to levelling midway through the half when a Yasser Ibrahim header off a corner was just too high.
Ahly were dangerous from set pieces and Hussein el Shahat nodded narrowly wide off another corner for the Cairo Red Devils.
The visitors came close again with Wydad goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti dashing from his goalmouth to head the ball clear as South African Percy Tau threatened to equalizes level.
Wydad doubled the lead three minutes into the second half and once again El Moutaraji was the executioner.
His first attempt from close range was parried by El Shenawy, but the Moroccan reacted quickest to push the rebound into the net.
Mosimane rang the changes as the second half progressed, including introducing leading scorer Mohamed Sherif, but the Cairo club could not find a way through the Wydad defense.
Sherif came tantalisingly close to adding to his six Champions League goals this season with eight minutes remaining, but Tagnaouti parried his close-range poke and the ball was cleared.
El Moutaraji strikes twice as Wydad become African champions
https://arab.news/rq6tg
El Moutaraji strikes twice as Wydad become African champions
- Renaissance Berkane won the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup on May 20 and will face Wydad for the CAF Super Cup
The sum of all fears
- After 3 years and millions spent on over 50 foreign and local players and 3 new coaches, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment?
- Ronaldo’s PR war with the club and the Saudi Pro League is now being played out in public after he missed a second straight game against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed PR prowess is in full flow as controversy surrounding his refusal to play for Al-Nassr continues. Meanwhile, his club and the Saudi Pro League are standing their ground. And across the Kingdom, and around the world, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment since the Portuguese superstar joined just over three years ago?
A solitary Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, with no major domestic or continental titles, would be — for a club of Al-Nassr’s stature — unacceptable during any period, never mind one which includes Ronaldo and a host of expensive foreign and local signings.
The club have signed over 50 players in the Ronaldo era and appointed three full-time coaches, including incumbent Jorge Jesus. The return has been scant, to say the least.
The club’s malaise on the pitch has been matched in the boardroom with a host of changes taking place during the continuing trophy drought. In 2024, Al-Nassr’s President Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib resigned due to lack of control at the club and was eventually replaced by Abdullah Al-Majid.
In January of 2025, Majid Al-Jam’an replaced Al-Nassr’s CEO at the time of Ronaldo’s arrival, Guido Fienga, whose role changed to club adviser. Following restructuring demands by Ronaldo, Al-Jam’an himself was replaced last summer with Jose Semedo. At the same time, Simao Coutinho replaced former Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro as sporting director.
Such turmoil has hardly been conducive to success and trophies, despite all the incoming signings.
The fallout from Ronaldo’s refusal to play for Al-Nassr since the last day of the winter transfer window continues to be felt almost a week on.
It is safe to say the direction of Saudi football itself has shifted dramatically since the turn of the month. With the transfer window initially not producing any fireworks, it seemed like all the focus would return to the title race between Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah as the season entered its final third.
That changed following a contract renewal dispute between Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad, which led to the Frenchman’s departure. A swift move to Al-Nassr’s city rivals and league leaders Al-Hilal followed, leading to the dramatic fallout that caused shockwaves across the football industry.
The repercussions of Benzema’s transfer have reshaped the league’s landscape. Ronaldo, reportedly frustrated that Al-Nassr had only signed Hayder Abdulkareem from Al-Zawraa and Abdullah Al-Hamdan from Al-Hilal, withdrew from his side’s clash with Al-Riyadh on Feb. 2.
As reports emerged suggesting that Ronaldo was unhappy with the way the Public Investment Fund was managing the league’s four major clubs, global media attention turned to how the situation would unfold.
Despite the noise off the field, Al-Nassr remain just one point behind Al-Hilal in the title race with more than a third of the games still to play.
The side endured a difficult run against Al-Qadsiah, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, but the league remains wide open with all four sides still in contention.
While Ronaldo returned to training amid false reports of his departure from the Kingdom, he missed a second consecutive match on Feb. 6 — a 2-0 win against Benzema’s former club Al-Ittihad.
It is fair to say that the drama has been the biggest seen in Saudi football since Ronaldo joined at the end of 2022, and arguably one of the biggest ever.
It is not the first time that the 41-year-old star has leveraged his status in world football to drive his ambitions, and his grievances, to the fore. His move to Saudi had taken place following an infamous interview with international television host Piers Morgan in which he criticized his then-club Manchester United, leading to his signing for Al-Nassr.
Now, with no clarity on whether Ronaldo will feature against Al-Fateh on Feb. 14, questions surrounding his immediate future remain unanswered.
A day prior to the Al-Ittihad encounter, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson revealed in an official statement to the BBC that “no individual — however significant — determines decisions beyond their own club.”
However, an Al Arabiya source outlined there were four factors behind Ronaldo’s reported dissatisfaction.
Firstly, Al-Nassr were said to be close to signing Saud Abdulhamid, but the deal collapsed amid claims that Al-Hilal, one of the player’s former clubs, believed his return to the league should only be with them.
Secondly, the source claimed Al-Nassr did not receive the same backing as Al-Hilal during the transfer window.
Thirdly, the league leaders made four foreign signings, including Benzema, to dwarf Al-Nassr’s efforts.
The source finally alleged that Ronaldo believed Al-Nassr’s CEO and sporting director had been restricted in their ability to operate.
While many fans continue to voice their support for Ronaldo, alternative viewpoints have emerged as his absence has continued.
Sports lawyer Ahmed Al-Shikhi posted on social media that, based on the official FIFA Transfer Matching System data for 2025, Al-Nassr were the highest spending club not just in Saudi Arabia, but across Asia.
Some fans have noted that, despite the club’s heavy spending, Al-Nassr remain the only member of Saudi Arabia’s traditional “big four” not to have won a major trophy since Ronaldo’s arrival.
For his part, renowned sports commentator and former Saudi footballer, Turki Al-Awad, defended Al-Nassr and eluded that given everything Cristiano Ronaldo has offered Saudi football, "the GOAT" should be above criticism.
“Ronaldo was the first to join the Saudi project, and on that basis, he should be treated (with respect), with the issue resolved quickly. We were very happy with his arrival, and he added a lot to us,” he said recently on Fi Al Marmi, a leading sports talkshow on Al-Arabiya News Channel.
On a similar note, Piers Morgan also voiced his support for Ronaldo.
Posting on X, he wrote: “Cristiano has revolutionised Saudi football in a way nobody else could have done. He just wants a level playing field”.
The situation ultimately underscores the growing tension between individual star power and institutional governance within the Saudi Pro League.
As the title race is set to enter its decisive phase in the coming weeks — including a Riyadh derby that could prove pivotal — it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo’s absence proves a momentary protest or a sign of deeper friction that will become clearer in the coming weeks.
For now, the episode has shone a light on the fact that the Saudi Pro League’s evolution is entering a more complex phase — one in which the battle between stars and structure proves difficult to govern.
