Chabab Ben Guerir vs Raja Beni Mellal Match Recap - Oct 19, 2025

Frustration Lingers as Chabab Ben Guerir and Raja Beni Mellal Share Spoils, Leaving Both Sides Searching for Momentum

On an overcast afternoon in Morocco’s Botola 2, the unfamiliar surroundings of an unnamed stadium became the stage for a match that perfectly encapsulated the early-season anxieties of both Chabab Ben Guerir and Raja Beni Mellal. Both teams arrived with pressing needs—Ben Guerir seeking the security of mid-table respectability, Raja desperate to shake off the weight of a winless start—and departed with questions unanswered after a 1-1 draw that, for all its effort, felt every bit a point gained and lost.

From the opening whistle, urgency was the order of the day. Chabab Ben Guerir, perched in 9th place and eager to rebound from last week’s narrow defeat to Chabab Mohammédia, pressed high, their midfield orchestrating quick transitions and probing for vulnerabilities. Raja Beni Mellal, mired in 16th at the foot of the table and having tallied a single, solitary point through three matches, responded not with resignation but with resolute grit—a squad intent on rewriting the narrative of their autumn malaise.

It was Ben Guerir who struck first, capitalizing on their early dominance. The breakthrough came midway through the first half, a swift sequence down the right flank ending with a well-weighted cross that met the foot of their leading forward. The finish was clinical, leaving the Raja keeper rooted as the ball rippled the net—an echo of their hard-fought win against KAC Kenitra just two weeks ago, and a signal that Ben Guerir were determined not to let this contest slip into the languor that marred their previous away outing.

The goal ignited Raja Beni Mellal. Gone was the passivity that haunted their opening fixtures, notably the limp 0-2 defeat at Amal Tiznit and the 0-0 stalemate against USM Oujda, that had condemned them to the bottom rung of the Botola 2 ladder. Instead, Raja responded with aggression, their midfield driving forward, hungry for an equalizer that would offer a lifeline to their faltering campaign. The urgency paid dividends just past the hour mark, when a chaotic scramble in the Ben Guerir box ended with Raja’s number nine lashing home from close range—a cathartic moment for a side starved of goals and victories alike.

With the score level, the match grew increasingly fractious. Tensions boiled as both teams searched for a late winner, and the referee’s whistle became a frequent companion as the tackles flew in. A flashpoint arrived in the 78th minute, when Ben Guerir’s holding midfielder saw red for a reckless challenge—leaving his side to navigate the final throes with ten men. Raja pressed their numerical advantage, but found Ben Guerir’s defensive line unyielding, the hosts determined not to let three points slip away a second week in succession.

As stoppage time ebbed away, fatigue and nerves conspired against clear opportunities. The final whistle confirmed a result that mirrors both teams’ season narratives: flashes of promise, yet a persistent inability to string together performances that translate into upward mobility.

For Ben Guerir, the draw is a cautious step forward: four points from three matches, anchored safely in mid-table for now, but with ambitions of climbing higher in a league where margins are slim and every point precious. Their last five matches paint a portrait of inconsistency—victory and defeat in equal measure, with draws providing only fleeting comfort. Today’s result, while frustrating, does at least stem the bleeding after a loss and hints at a squad capable of resilience, though not yet ruthlessness.

Raja Beni Mellal, meanwhile, remain in the doldrums. Now with just two points from four matches and not a single win to their name, their predicament grows ever more precarious. The flashes of attacking intent witnessed today must become more frequent—and more clinical—if they are to climb clear of the relegation zone. Their last five outings tell a tale of defensive frailty and offensive drought, the solitary goal today a modest step on a long road back to credibility.

Head-to-head, recent encounters have tended to be cagey affairs, neither side able to assert lasting dominance—a trend that continues with today’s draw. The rhythm of the match and its result reflect the broader competitive landscape of Botola 2, where parity is often the rule and decisive breakthroughs elusive.

The road ahead offers little respite. For Ben Guerir, the challenge is to harness today’s resilience into tangible progress, to turn single points into threes and push for relevance in a league where ambition demands consistency. Raja Beni Mellal’s task is more urgent: to discover the will and quality required to end their winless run before the season’s pressure becomes insurmountable.

In the unfolding narrative of Botola 2, today's draw leaves both Chabab Ben Guerir and Raja Beni Mellal at crossroads—neither broken nor buoyed, each searching for the right combination of steel and spark to alter their trajectories. As the autumn fixtures approach, the stakes only sharpen, and for these two sides, the quest for answers continues.