Wydad Casablanca miss chance to appeal after fielding suspended player against Temara

Wydad Casablanca missed the chance to benefit from a potential administrative win against Wydad Temara after losing their encounter in the first round of the professional league 3-1, due to not filing an official objection regarding the participation of a suspended player, according to the information provided by the source.

The case involves player Imad Babass, who joined Wydad Casablanca from Amal Al-Jaish Al-Malaki. Data suggests that he was still under a suspension from last season, which could make his participation in the match subject to review by the relevant disciplinary authorities if its legality is confirmed.

According to the same source, Wydad Casablanca did not register any objections to Babas' participation in the match report, which, according to this account, deprived them of the possibility of requesting a change in the match result through the established objection procedure.

The regulations, according to the source, state that objections must be recorded on the match sheet, either before the match starts or during the halftime break, a procedure that the red team did not resort to during the match.

Despite Wydad Casablanca not filing an official complaint, the National Professional Football League can still open the case on its own or consider any complaint submitted within the legal timeframe, which is up to 12 days before the final approval of the match result.

However, the source clarified that Wydad Casablanca will not be able to benefit from points in the match even if it is proven that the player's participation was illegal, due to the failure to activate the objection procedure properly.

In contrast, Wydad Temara could face penalties if the violation is confirmed, including the loss of match points and an additional point deduction from their tally, as well as a two-match suspension for the involved player and a four-match ban for the administrative official, along with a financial fine of 5,000 dirhams, according to the same data.

The source indicated that the responsibility in this incident may extend to more than one party, starting with the administrative director of Wydad Casablanca, who is supposed to verify the legal status of new players before completing the contracting procedures with them, and not just when the date of their participation in matches approaches.

The player and his former club share some responsibility, according to the source, as it is necessary to inform the new team of any previous disciplinary actions that may affect the player's eligibility to participate.

On the other hand, the source pointed to the responsibility of Idriss Merbah, the administrative director of Wydad Casablanca, for not filing an objection regarding the eligibility of the opposing team's players, especially during the early rounds of the league, which usually sees the participation of new elements with their clubs.

Some clubs are reportedly filing precautionary objections regarding the eligibility of opposing players before confirming their legal status. This practice is not limited to professional league clubs but also extends to amateur teams.

The source has held the National Professional Football League partly responsible, suggesting that a unified electronic system allowing clubs to easily check players' legal status, including recorded sanctions against them and their eligibility to participate, could help avoid such cases.

The decision on the matter remains linked to what the National Professional Football League will decide regarding the investigation into Imad Babas's participation, before any official decision is made regarding the match result or the penalties that may arise from the incident.