CAF CL: Wydad Athletic Captain Hopeful Of Title Defence
Captain of Wydad Athletic Club, Yahya Jabrane, is confident that his team has what it takes to defend its CAF Champions League title when they clash with Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the second leg of the final on Sunday, June 11th, 2023.
The Moroccan club will enter the return fixture in Casablanca with a 2-1 deficit from last weekend’s first leg in Cairo. But the midfielder remains optimistic that Wydad can overturn the result and secure a comfortable victory at home.
Jabrane expressed his confidence in an exclusive interview with CAF TV, providing a preview of what is expected to be an epic battle at the Stade Mohamed V Complex in Casablanca.
“As the captain of the team, I consider myself lucky and proud to participate in a second consecutive Champions League final,” Jabrane said. “This is a significant achievement for me, and I hope we can bring happiness to our fans at the end of the 90 minutes,”
Jabrane hopes it will be a third in a row as they face Al Ahly in another final as their previous two title wins, in 2017 and last season, came at the expense of the Egyptian giants.
“Each final is unique, and this season, they have a very strong team with more experience than us. However, we will be prepared for the match, and hopefully, we can secure victory against them once again,” Jabrane added.
The midfielder acknowledged the challenging journey they have experienced in the CAF Champions League this season, noting that the teams have developed and become more difficult to defeat.
“Our journey has been more arduous compared to last season. African football has seen significant growth,” Jabrane emphasised.
“There were matches where we could have been defeated, but our experience helped us. We have a team culture that has taught us how to find ways to win, and that’s how we made it to the final.”
Wydad’s captain stated that they have demonstrated their determination by overcoming tough opponents in the lead-up to the final, including South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals when few believed in their chances.
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The midfielder attributes their victory against Masandawana to the self belief of the players and a strong ambition to prove doubters wrong. They advanced on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw in Pretoria.
“It was a challenging match against an opponent that everyone considered a strong contender for the title,” Jabrane recalled.
“For us, it was a do-or-die match in the second leg, and even when we conceded the first goal, we kept pushing. The second goal was scored very late, but we never lost hope. We kept fighting. That determination was within us,”
Looking ahead to the second leg of the final on Sunday, Jabrane hopes to maintain the same spirit and momentum, aiming to replicate last season’s feat when they defeated Ahly 2-0 in Casablanca to lift the trophy, thanks to Zouhair El Moutaraji’s brace.
“We hope to see a similar scenario unfold. Why not?” Jabrane affirmed.
The final will take place on Sunday at 19:00 GMT.
