Berkane President Acknowledges Wydad’s Mokwena as a Formidable Opponent
Moine Chaâbani, head coach of RS Berkane, has humorously delivered a subtle jab at Wydad Casablanca’s coach Rulani Mokwena, referring to him as “famous” during a pre-match press conference in Durban.
Chaâbani expressed his best wishes for Mokwena as the Moroccan club strives to regain their position in the Botola League.
Mokwena took charge at Wydad during the off-season, and the South African manager is currently facing struggles, with his team placed fifth in the league. They have suffered four losses this season, including one against Chaâbani’s Berkane in October.
“He will naturally be a rival, as he was last year,” Chaâbani stated, using a translator at Moses Mabhida Stadium following Berkane’s 3-1 victory over Stellenbosch in the CAF Confederation Cup. “During my time with Esperance, I frequently faced Mokwena, as I had known him from his role as an assistant coach at Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Chaâbani, a two-time CAF Champions League winner with Esperance and a finalist in last year’s Confed Cup, concluded the press briefing with a cryptic “All the best to him,” prompting laughter among the attendees.
Wydad’s disappointing performance last season, which led to their failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League and to advance in the knockout rounds last year, resulted in Mokwena’s appointment. The club is now aiming for a top-four finish to regain entry into CAF club competitions.
In contrast, Berkane is currently topping the Botola League with 27 points from 12 matches, eight points ahead of Wydad. Chaâbani expressed the team’s goal to either win the league or secure second place to qualify for the Champions League.
“Last season, Raja and FAR Rabat made qualification exceptionally challenging for us,” Chaâbani, a Tunisian native, elaborated. “They occupied the two spots for Champions League qualification, causing us to finish third, which led to our qualification for the CAF Confed Cup. Our aim this year is to finish either first or second for Champions League qualification.”
Berkane, who won against Pirates in the 2022 Confed Cup final via penalties, solidified their leading position in Confed Cup Group B with six points from two matches after defeating Stellenbosch 3-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. Stellenbosch, managed by Steve Barker, currently holds the last position in the group without any points.
Berkane will host Stade Malien Bamako in their upcoming third Confed Cup group stage match at Stade Municipal de Berkane on Sunday at 21:00.