CAF Champions League: Casablanca buzzing as old rivals Wydad, Ahly prepare for epic clash
Wydad Casablanca fans cheer during the CAF Champions League final first leg soccer match between Al-Ahly and Wydad Casablanca in Cairo
The Moroccan city of Casablanca is experiencing an exceptional atmosphere, only a few days before the Stade Mohamed V Complex hosts the feisty tie between home side Wydad Athletic Club and Al Ahly in the return fixture of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final.
Wydad host the return tie on Sunday night, carrying a 2-1 deficit from the first leg played in Cairo last weekend, and needing in the least a 1-0 victory on home turf to turn the tie in their fabour.
For this mission, they will need the heavy noise of their fans to propel them to a successful defense of the title.
The tie, expected to be a blockbuster showing of Africa’s top cream, has already attracted a lot of interest, with fans set to throng the stadium to witness the beauty of African football at its very best.
A total number of 45,000 tickets were released for the match and they ran out in record time, a clear manifestation of just how massive the tie is.
Wydad fans are preparing to make their voices heard as they look top push their team to a successful defense of the crown, and their fourth in history.
This being a North African derby against Ahly will make the emotions and the stakes even higher. They faced Ahly in the final on the same venue last season, winning 2-0, and they hope lightning will strike on the same spot once again.
Wydad will be riding on the power of the single away goal from Cairo, which they hope can make a difference in the return fixture. The fans too, are keeping their faith.
It is not only the noise that will be a spectacle in Casablanca, but the tifos and banners that are usually paraded around the stadium. The Wydad fan groups have already started preparing them ahead of the D-day.
Across the streets and alleys of Casablanca, talk is all about Sunday night’s game, and the roads leading to the stadium are already buzzing and dotted with flags and other paraphernalia.
All over town, in shops and in balconies of personal houses, Wydad and Moroccan flags are dotted all over, the atmosphere clearly building heading into match day.
