FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Expert’s view on Wydad AC | OneFootball

City’s first opponents at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup are Moroccan side Wydad AC.

They are one of four African sides at the competition having won the 2021/22 CAF Champions League.

To learn more about them, we recently spoke to Amine El Amri – the Sports Editor at Le360, one of Morocco’s leading publications.

Find out more about FIFA Club World Cup 2025

He told us what to expect when we come up against Wydad for the first time in Philadelphia on 18 June.

Style of play

I’d say this is something of a transition era for Wydad. In Morocco, they’ve always been known for a direct style of play and in the 1980s and 1990s, they were at their best.

It’s always been about how quick they went from one end of the pitch to the other. It has been the club’s DNA to always have the best wingers, full backs and strikers.

However, since the start of last season, Rhulani Mokwena has changed it. He came from Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa and has a reputation for a very different style.

Things weren’t going so well early on but now he has installed a 4-2-3-1 shape and it has clicked more.

It’s a new project and very different to the way they played to win the CAF Champions League to qualify for this competition.

Manager

It was difficult when Rhulani Mokwena first came in but the fans needed to be patient.

He is a very calm and friendly guy in his media appearances. He’s managed to convince everybody to be patient, which is unusual in Morocco!

He’s changed more than the style of play, he’s changed mentality. They had to correct some things and they’re on a new path now.

Walid Regragui was the manager that won the Champions League for Wydad back in 2022. Most fans around the world will know him as the man who that led Morocco at the 2022 World Cup when we reached the semi-finals.

You have to distinguish between club level and national team because they have players that are part of the diaspora from around the world. Clubs can only rely on local talent or the best of Africa’s talent.

Star players

Mokwena relies on a trusted spine of players that play most matches and are really important to the style of play.

Goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid can really play with the ball at his feet, which this team needs.

In front of him, captain Jamal Harkass and Mounaim Boutouil are the defenders to provide a strong base while midfielder Mehdi Moubarik has been really good and is on loan from Al Ain, who are also in this group, so it will be interesting to see if he plays.

The most important attacking players are wingers Cassius Mailula and Mohamed Rayhi, who are fast and difficult for defenders to stop. Mokwena knows Mailula from Mamelodi Sundowns and they have a really good relationship.

Excitement for FCWC 2025 in Morocco

You have no idea! Ever since the draw was made and stadiums confirmed, fans in Casablanca have been planning their trips and routes to America.

Morocco also has a huge diaspora everywhere around the world so there will be fans coming not just from Casablanca but many, many cities. People are tracing routes through many countries into the USA to get to the host cities.

The support will be very loud and loyal in the stadiums, so hopefully this will add an extra element to the games Wydad play.

In Casablanca, there are so many people and it’s either Wydad or Raja and it’s a huge source of pride for Wydad fans that they are the only Moroccan team that are part of this tournament.

City knowledge amongst fans and players in Morocco

It’s really watched, especially in the last decade or so with the arrival of Pep Guardiola. He is a huge attraction by himself.

Until Guardiola moved to the Premier League, La Liga was the most popular European league in Spain. That was partly because of how close the countries are, but also because that’s where the best football was.

In recent years, that’s turned to England and the brilliant football City have played. The biggest names are known all around the world and it will be great to see Wydad test themselves against some of the best.

How to follow the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

DAZN will broadcast every minute from the event, with all 63 matches, live-streamed, free to view on DAZN globally, and in multiple languages.

If you are already a DAZN subscriber or Freemium member, then the competition is part of your current membership.

To sign up for a free DAZN account now you only need an email address to register, with no hidden costs or fees.

You can then watch all the action on the DAZN App via smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices, game consoles and web browsers.

Join now to be ready to watch DAZN’s coverage for free.

Every City match will be covered in full across mancity.com and our official app, with our usual offering of a Matchday Centre and Matchday Live followed by a match report, written and video reaction and highlights from the US.