Moine Chaâbani, the head coach of RS Berkane, has playfully made a light-hearted remark aimed at Wydad Casablanca’s coach Rulani Mokwena, labeling him as “famous” during a pre-match press conference held in Durban.
Chaâbani extended his best wishes to Mokwena as the Moroccan team aims to reclaim their standing in the Botola League.
Mokwena took the helm at Wydad in the off-season, and the South African coach is currently encountering challenges, with his squad situated fifth in the league. This season has seen them endure four losses, one of which was to Chaâbani’s Berkane in October.
“He will undoubtedly be a competitor, as he was last year,” Chaâbani remarked, using a translator at Moses Mabhida Stadium after Berkane’s 3-1 triumph over Stellenbosch in the CAF Confederation Cup. “During my tenure with Esperance, I often faced Mokwena, having known him from his previous position as an assistant coach at Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Chaâbani, a two-time CAF Champions League champion with Esperance and a finalist in last year’s Confed Cup, wrapped up the press conference with a somewhat enigmatic, “All the best to him,” which elicited laughter from those present.
The unsatisfactory performance of Wydad last season, which prevented them from qualifying for this year’s Champions League and limited their progress in the knockout stages last year, led to Mokwena’s appointment. The club is now targeting a top-four finish to re-enter CAF club competitions.
In contrast, Berkane is currently leading the Botola League with 27 points from 12 matches, holding an eight-point advantage over Wydad. Chaâbani emphasized the team’s objective to either clinch the league title or secure second place to qualify for the Champions League.
“Last season, Raja and FAR Rabat made qualification incredibly tough for us,” Chaâbani, hailing from Tunisia, explained. “They took the two Champions League qualification spots, forcing us to finish in third place, which allowed us to qualify for the CAF Confed Cup. Our goal this year is to finish either first or second for Champions League qualification.”
Berkane, who triumphed over Pirates in the 2022 Confed Cup final on penalties, has solidified their top position in Confed Cup Group B with six points from two matches after defeating Stellenbosch 3-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. Stellenbosch, coached by Steve Barker, currently sits at the bottom of the group with no points.
Berkane is set to face Stade Malien Bamako in their upcoming third Confed Cup group stage match at Stade Municipal de Berkane on Sunday at 21:00.
