Renowned Ultras Winners disappointed yet proud after Club World Cup disqualification

Ultras Winners and thousands of fans of Wydad AC were left livid after the Casablanca giant was disqualified from the Club World Cup as the champion and sole representative of Morocco.

Hopes and expectations were high for a team that, last year, went on to win the domestic league trophy as well as the continental cup against Egyptian club Al-Ahly.

Although the team achieved an exceptional end to the last season under the leadership of current National Team Manager Walid Regragui, Tunisian coach Mehdi Nafti was not able to pick up the stride, struggling to top the Botola this season with an unconvincing chain of results.

The club’s die-hard fan group, known as the “Winners”, has a hard-earned reputation for the extravagant, singing, smoke bombs and making their voice echo across stadium corridors.

They regularly fill the north curve of Mohammed V stadium in Morocco’s economic capital Casablanca, where they have a reputation for drawing more attention than the action on the pitch.

Thousands of supporters are expected and obligated to put on their carefully choreographed shows. Fresh from winning the African Champions League, they were to compete for the international in the Club World Cup which started on Wednesday.

Former Ultras member Mohammed attended the game, who asked to not give his full name, though he expressed that his team was not ready to face the task of competing with continental champions from around the world.

Wydad AC opened the scoring from a corner that was converted by Ayoub El Amloud in the 52nd minute mark. A goal that Wydad tried to hold on to as a lifeline against Al-Hilal who kept piling the pressure until the 90th minute, after a challenge inside the box that gave Mohamed Kanno the golden chance to level the game.

The “Winners” were designated the best supporters in the world in 2022 by football community network Ultras World, set the tempo during the game.

“Supporting Wydad is a passion, a commitment that goes beyond football. We show the best of ourselves by defending values such as respect for the family and solidarity,” said Mohamed.

Karim Benmini, a Wydad AC fan explained to Hespress EN, “I am disappointed, I was expecting much more from our team and from the players, they lacked level-headedness and left the opposition to dictate most of the game’s proceedings.”

Yahya Jabrane was sent off after an exchange with the referee, which left Wydad AC in a much worse situation than the initial penalty decision, they were looking at an extra time with only 10 players against a side that found favorable wind.

The game went on to penalties where Al-Hilal converted all five versus three for Wydad AC. Although the game ended at the last possible contest, Ultras Winners were not happy with what their team proposed.