Ahly coach Marcel Koller and Wydad coach Rhulani Mokwena have both been fired by their teams for poor performances locally and internationally.
(The Post News)– Wydad Casablanca and Al Ahly of Egypt, both participating in Club World Cup qualifiers, have fired their coaches due to poor domestic and international records.
After a shocking semi-final Confederation of African Football Champions League (CAFCL) loss on Friday, 12-time African champions Ahly fired Swiss Marcel Koller during an emergency meeting. This followed the firing of Wydad coach Rulani Mokwena because the Moroccan team is not expected to make it to the 2025–2026 CAF Champions League.
Ahly lost the match on away goals after giving up a last-minute own goal to only draw 1-1 at home against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday. After the Sundowns game, irate fans threw bottles at Koller, who led the Cairo Red Devils to the 2023 and 2024 Champions League championships. Koller has been under pressure because of the dismal Egyptian Premier League results.
In one of the most competitive African competitions, defending champions Ahly sit four points behind Pyramids, who are vying for their eighth championship in ten seasons. In response to his dismissal, Koller expressed his “deep disappointment”.
Meanwhile, Mokwena, the first South African to coach a top-tier Moroccan team, was fired by Wydad after the team fell six points behind second-place FAR Rabat following six straight league draws. With three rounds left, leaders Renaissance Berkane and FAR appear destined to occupy the two spots that are reserved for the top two finishers in the CAF Champions League.
Mokwena shared the points in 12 of 27 games. Additionally, they were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Throne Cup, which is the Moroccan version of the FA Cup. According to reports, Wydad has selected Amine Benhachem, a local, to succeed him. Eleven previous teams have been coached by the 49-year-old.
Renaissance Zemamra, his previous team, is now one point behind Wydad, who are in third place in the Moroccan championship. The third-place team advances to the CAF Confederation Cup. In Group G of the Club World Cup, Wydad, the three-time African champions, has been drawn alongside Manchester City, Juventus, and Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates.
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