Sergio admits Wydad errors after defeat to Wydad Témara

Paulo Sérgio, the Wydad Casablanca coach, admitted that his team did not deliver the expected performance in their match against Wydad Temara, which ended in a 3-1 defeat on Saturday evening in the opening round of the professional league.

Sergio explained during the press conference that followed the match that Wydad Casablanca appeared far from the level they aspired to at the start of their campaign in the competition, especially during the first half, which saw clear mistakes in organization, positioning, and the pressing mechanism on the opponent.

The Portuguese coach pointed out that his team was well aware of the playing style of Wydad Tamara and its strengths before the match, but they failed to handle it as required, emphasizing that poor positioning and weak pressing execution gave the opponent the necessary spaces to move and create danger.

Wydad Casablanca players put in a significant physical effort, but it was not accompanied by the required tactical effectiveness. The team ran a lot during the match without being able to utilize this effort correctly, while Wydad Temara appeared strong during the first half and took advantage of their opponent's mistakes and the spaces available to them.

Wydad Casablanca worked in the second half to make up for what happened at the start of the match, as their performance improved and they managed to create several scoring opportunities. Sergio explained that his team was capable of scoring two goals and getting back into the game, but the attempts were not enough to change the result, leading Wydad to start their season with a defeat against Wydad Temara.

In contrast, Abdel Salam Benjelloun, coach of Wydad Temara, confirmed that his team deserved to win by three goals to one, considering the performance the players delivered throughout the match.

Benjelloun praised his players' focus and their approach to the match, explaining that they entered the encounter with great respect for the opponent and succeeded in capitalizing on the opportunities that came their way, converting them into goals.

Wydad Temara's coach emphasized that facing Wydad Casablanca was not easy, given the club's stature and fan base. However, he clarified that his players approached the match with humility and focus, implementing the instructions that had been worked on during the preparation period, allowing the team to secure three valuable points that were, in his words, not expected before the match began.

With this result, Wydad Casablanca has had a tough start to their campaign in the professional league, while the victory has given Wydad Temara a strong boost and great confidence after managing to defeat one of the top clubs in the competition. The red team will now need to address the mistakes that were evident in their first appearance and prepare better for the upcoming matches.