25 Feb 2024

Wydad Casablanca of Morocco narrowly escaped defeat against Jwaneng Galaxy and won 1-0 in a nail-biting CAF Champions League game at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown on Saturday.

The game between the two sides was tense and hard-fought, with both teams giving it their all, but Wydad proved a hard nut to crack and put one past Galaxy keeper through a Badr Gaddarine brilliant header from a free kick in the first half.

The game continued to be intense in the second half and both sides were desperate to score and take the lead.

In a thrilling turn of events, Jwaneng Galaxy were awarded a penalty in the 66^th minute after Wydad’s goalkeeper, Ryan Brown made a rough challenge on the Jwaneng striker.

However, Brown was alert enough and saved Thabang Sesinyi’s shot, to the devastation of Galaxy’s supporters.

With just a few minutes left before the final whistle, tension was palpable. Galaxy made a last-ditch effort to score but were not so lucky.

In a post-match interview, Galaxy coach, Morena Ramoreboli said despite defeat, he had a better team on the day.

“Disappointing results indeed but I had a better team on the field. Though we missed a penalty, we created more chances but we failed to convert them.

It is unfortunate that players failed to organise themselves and lost focus and were not aggressive.

This is not the result we were looking for, but this is a lesson for us to do better in the next game,” Ramoreboli said.

He said their loss to Wydad Casablanca showed that anything can happen in a game of football.

“The Moroccan team’s win was a surprise to many, as they were not considered the favourites. This just goes to show that no team can ever be counted out and anything is possible on the pitch.

The encounter was a reminder that the beautiful game is full of surprises and unpredictable moments,” he added. However, Ramoreboli promised that they would work hard in order to win against the Simba Sporting Club of Tanzania in the next encounter.

“The qualification is in our hands if we can organise ourselves better. There is growth in our team but people should understand that this is a game of football and anything can happen,” he said.

For his part, Wydad Casablanca coach, Benzarti Faouzi said even though they won, the game was tough and commended Galaxy for putting up a good fight.

Faouzi said he was pleased with his team’s performance and the result and applauded his players for the determination and skill they displayed throughout the game. ENDS